


Caroline the Not So Teenage Witch

by klarolineagainnaturally



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV), The Vampire Diaries - L. J. Smith
Genre: F/M, Klaroline, Sabrina the teenage witch - Freeform, this story is brought to you by LOSING THE WILL TO LIVE
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:28:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23769292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klarolineagainnaturally/pseuds/klarolineagainnaturally
Summary: Young witch Caroline Forbes must learn to live with her old flame turned cat. Antics ensue as they try to get along and fix what has been done.
Relationships: Caroline Forbes & Klaus Mikaelson, Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Comments: 177
Kudos: 206





	1. Part I: The Beginning + The Council

Caroline hummed into her cup of herbal tea, relaxing against the backing of the stool that rested snugly behind the counter. It was a slow day in her shop; the few people that bought things were regulars of hers looking to replenish their ingredients. Not a single glance in her glass cabinet counter, which held an array of crystals and ornaments. Pricier items, of course. She hoped that the Divine Spirits were saving those items for the right witch or witches.

The Spirits had led her to open up her craft shop. In what other universe would she have stumbled onto such a decrepit commercial space and thought it to be special? Before her mother informed her of her lineage, she was a normal, all-American girl with normal, all-American aspirations. That was until her sixteenth birthday, when she was sat down and told the family secret. It seemed that the old Forbes’ lineage included magical genes that skipped a generation. Lucky her. Before the craziness, all she wanted to do was graduate as prom queen and get into pageants but the Spirits had other plans for her.

It took a long period of time to settle into the truth, and even longer to accept that her mother had enrolled her into the prestigious Academy of Unseen Arts without so much as a goodbye. Her words were, “ _see if you like it and then you can come home_ ”, but what she meant was, “ _your grandfather’s will states you must attend and graduate from the boarding school and I don’t want to deal with whatever magical powers are festering in your hormonal teenage brain”._ To clarify, her mother wasn’t heartless; she really did care for her, but she wasn’t the best equipped to raise a magical child while busy at work as the town sheriff.

Contrary to what Harry Potter had implanted into her naive brain, there were no fun antics at school, only gruelling study sessions and occasional school trips to —she groaned at the memory— the Museum of Witchcraft. It was an unwanted surprise to her that most students, though only receiving their magical gifts at sixteen, had prepared for their schooling from a young age. So, she went from getting straight As in Maths and Science to falling behind in Spell Casting and Potions. It was a slightly different ballgame; she couldn’t just memorise anymore, she had to absorb the material. Once she accepted that, she became obsessed with every inch of improving her craft, and it also helped that she wanted to wipe the smug grins off the elitist witches in her school. There were a few...distractions, but she made it work in the grand scheme. Oh, how sweet it was to accept her place as the Class Valedictorian.

The choice after graduation was to return to the mortal world and live out her previous dreams, likely to never use magic again, or put her gift to use in the Other Realm. Her mother undoubtedly hoped she would give up the life of magic, but she just couldn’t bring herself to part with her gift. Granted, her becoming a business owner was as mundane as one could get in the Other Realm, but it fit her like a glove.

It was less than ten minutes until midnight and with the slow day in mind, she thought to close up shop, but the jingling of the door bells caught her attention, followed by the familiar face presenting itself before her. A few blinks and a reality check to the head confirmed that it _was_ in fact who she thought it was, though if her memory served her correctly, he was rumoured to be on the run still.

  
“Long time no see, love.”

Setting down her tea cup, Caroline cleared her throat to reply in restrained surprise, “Klaus.”

“Now, Caroline, you should correct that loose jaw of yours. The examiner would deduct points for it,” he teased, voice lifting musically as he strolled up to the counter.

She only sighed, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the firm glass. “Don’t you think seven years is too short to wait for a school reunion?”

As soon as they graduated, Klaus practically vanished from all of existence, but she heard things over the years. A small section of the local newspaper was dedicated to chronicling his duplicitous acts.

“School reunion? What would be the use in that when the only person I would wish to see is you?” His eyes gleamed in satisfaction as he watched her stifle any flush in her cheeks. 

“That still begs the question,” she began, rolling her shoulders before glancing up at him, “Why are you in my shop?”

“And what a marvellous shop it is. I had no doubt you would do well, though I do think you’re wasted away in such a—” Klaus’ words were stopped in their tracks as he caught the unimpressed twitch of her lips. He conceded quietly, resting his palms on the glass, “I made the wrong move this time.”

“Well, one does tend to when their goal is to take over the world,” she responded drily, pushing a loose curl off her shoulder.

It was no secret that Niklaus Mikaelson was a little power hungry, attempting to recruit other witches into his faction from the moment he enrolled in their school. His family was a line of powerful and ruthless witches. He was the type of person you would know to steer clear of. Yet, he insisted on bothering her throughout their years at school. She wouldn’t deny his attractiveness—who could?—but she wanted to be serious about her future, not something he specialised in unless you counted world domination.

He grinned shortly before his shoulders tightened at the sight of the clock behind her. “They caught me this time.”

  
“And yet, you’re here,” she huffed, ready to unleash the fruit of her irritations. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I want no part in it. We may have had… This isn’t the boarding school anymore. I’m living my life and I don’t need you to come and mess it up with your crazy diabolical plans, which I would have expected from Kol more than you—”

“Caroline.”

His sudden abrasive address was an unusual occurrence and a shiver ran along her spine. Something tickled at her, telling her to take a look out of the window. Two bodyguards stood outside, taking a firm stance as they watched the pair of them.

“I don’t understand,” Caroline whispered, slipping from her stool to get a better view. They wore the unmistakable purple velvet uniform of the Witches Council. 

“They’re here to see my punishment is executed,” Klaus explained matter-of-factly, meeting her around the side of the counter.

The Witches Council was not kind in their judgement, oftentimes humorously cruel when dealing out punishments. What could it be? Surely, for crimes such as his, it would be wise to assume the worst. Her heart dropped at that moment at the very idea of his existence being no more.

“I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me, but you are the only person I have ever truly trusted,” he muttered as his hands reached to cup her cheeks. Caroline swallowed as his hot skin made contact with her, any previous thoughts melting under the threat of his punishment.

Klaus took a long glance at the clock before requesting in the softest voice, “I need you to close your eyes.”

“What? I—” She could only release a shaky sigh and nodded carefully.

Her gaze longed to attach to him but she accepted his request and let her lids fall. She could hear and feel his breath on her cheek as he moved his lips closer to her. It was like she was in a dream that she would soon wake up from in the knowledge that her brain was simply trying to process some underlying emotions. Yet, the sensation of his plump lips connecting with hers sent her mind reeling. She welcomed him into her mouth and hummed into the movement as his fingers wrapped around her loose curls.

Caroline wished for it to never end, but with the chime of her clock, the warmth felt from him soon turned cold. Her eyes reopened to accept the dark space in place of where he stood.

“Well, that was relatively painless,” he mused softly. 

Brows furrowed, she wondered if she was going crazy, but as she lowered her head, where he stood had now taken the form of a black cat. The screech that left her was uncontrollable. It wasn’t every day the man you kissed turned into a cat. His now glass-like, yellow eyes stared up at her with wide curiosity.

“You—”

“I know I was a bit dramatic, but I rather preferred to not turn with you watching.”

“What?!” Caroline choked out, unable to keep her hands from fumbling in shock.

“This is my punishment,” he explained, a low rumble in his voice. “They were kind enough, or sadistic depending on how you look at it, to allow me the choice of witch to reside with.”

She was simply gobsmacked, a billion rationalisations trying to enter her mind at once, but watching him hop onto the counter was almost too sobering for her to accept the situation as anything other than fact.

“You always said you wanted a familiar,” he attempted to joke, though her frozen stature indicated her severe lack of amusement.

“You’re— Oh my god!” If her jaw was dropped at his mere appearance in her shop, then surely, it had detached itself at the new revelation.

“Sweetheart, try not to panic.” 

She practically jumped out of her skin at his undeservedly calm response to the change. “Panic?! We are past that! I think I’ve **_transcended_ **that! You’re a cat, Klaus!” 

His now small, furry head twisted to view his new feline physique before he declared confidently, “I think I carry it well.”

* * *

“No, no. This is NOT happening!” Caroline stormed up the spiral stairs she had conjured moments earlier — well, stormed as best she could. Spiral stairs weren’t exactly the best for making a dramatic exit.

Klaus only followed after her, his dainty paws padding up each step with careful precision. He was surprised to find that the change in body didn’t take much getting used to. In fact, his new physique was proving to be much more limber when getting around.

His little furry ears twitched forward as he joked, “Love, I hate to be fussy, but _I_ _am_ the one who’s a cat.” 

Caroline held her palms out in front as she carried on into her living room. With a giant huff, she slumped onto her couch, shoving her face into an eclectically designed pillow. “Please, don’t even talk to me right now!”

“I was merely trying to ease your turmoil!”

She removed the pillow slowly and looked at Klaus. He had jumped onto the coffee table in front of her and was tilting his head gingerly. “Well, you can stop! I can’t _believe_ you would do this to me!”

“Sweetheart, I apologise for not making the announcement sooner, but I can’t be held responsible for the Council’s shoddy organisational skills.”

It was so weird watching him speak. Her nose scrunched in discomfort as his mouth mirrored the movements of a human. She wondered if it would count as animal cruelty to kill him. Probably not the best idea. Too much grey area. 

When she didn’t reply to him, he sighed softly and faltered. “I know this wasn’t on your list of priorities, but you really were the only person I could think to trust enough with this.”

Caroline stared at him intensely, analysing his feline expressions. “Whatever,” she relented and sat back with her arms folded over. “But you are _so_ sleeping on the couch tonight.”

* * *

Morning came and it was a blissful silence, her lips spreading into a warm smile. It was all just a dream. Yes. She probably just drank some bad tea, mixed the wrong herbs, or maybe it was a side effect of a spell gone awry.

The bliss didn’t last long and the stark reality came crashing as she turned in her bed to view a black cat, watching over her from the other side of her bed. She shrieked, her whole body shirking under her covers.

Klaus sat in his cat form, his eyes wide and full of curiosity. “Bad dream, sweetheart?”

“Yes.” She bared her teeth spitefully and tossed the quilt off. Klaus made a quick escape from it as it fell over the spot he was occupying.

“Care to share?”

He hopped onto her vanity and her body flinched as she sat down at it, pulling the stool in closer. “I dreamt I went to see the council and they were all just _you_ . Your _dumb_ face! And this was all just a _big_ joke on Caroline! But clearly not!” She held her head in her hands and groaned, “I really wish I was being punk’d right now.”

Klaus’ eyes blinked slowly and he perched at the side of the mirror. “Now, to clarify, was it my dumb cat face or my dumb human face? These distinctions mean a lot to me. Wouldn’t want you to forget my handsome face so soon.”

She scoffed and began to tend to her hair, brushing at the knots that had formed as she tossed in her sleep. “Does it matter? If I can convince the council, I won’t have to see your dumb face ever again.”

Looking in the mirror, her expression deflated into worry and she chewed on her lip. “How am I supposed to get you there? Familiars can’t travel without precautionary ties. I don’t even have a collar...or one of those leash thingies!”

“Can you not just carry me in your arms? That would eliminate the need for a leash and collar all together.”

“Not in a million years!”

“What? Afraid you’ll enjoy it, love?”

She shot a glare his way, her frustration only increasing as he purred at her and sauntered across the top of her vanity. “You are unbelievable.”

Caroline soon stood up and snapped her fingers, her clothes instantly changing into the appropriate attire. “I’ll just go alone.”

“Are you sure you don’t require any of my help?”

“Nope.” She strutted past him and made way for her closet. It really was an efficiently odd way of getting around in the Realm, but she supposed it was better than a taxi any day.

* * *

Caroline headed straight through the lavishly decorated foyer of the Council Building to the receptionist having her nails done by a phantom pair of hands wielding a red polish. “I need to speak with the council, and I don’t care if they’re busy because I _won’t_ take no for an answer!”

“Not a problem,” the redhead at the desk replied sweetly. “They’re expecting you.”

Her head pulled back in surprise and she swallowed the sudden rise in nerves. Now or never. Hell hath no fury like a Caroline Forbes scorned.

She burst through the gigantic double doors and there sat the Council: Meredith Fell, Atticus Shane, Richard Lockwood and his wife Carol Lockwood, and council head Alaric Saltzman. All waiting patiently. Alaric was formerly the principal of their boarding school but with a few changes and a minor coup, he had overthrown Richard Lockwood as head of the Witches Council.

  
Alaric’s arms rose in a welcoming manner and he smiled with his perfect teeth on show. “Miss Forbes, what a pleasant surprise! We were about to send off your instruction package!”

The irritation was dripping from her voice as she spoke, “An instruction package? What about a ‘heads up’ package? You can turn a witch into a cat but you couldn’t send me a letter beforehand?”

“Now, Caroline, we understand this may have been a shock and will take some getting used to, but we feel happy with the decision.”

“Some ‘getting used to’? I have one of the most dangerous witches in the Realm sitting on my couch probably cleaning himself with his tongue right now!”

A few chuckles were had amongst the council members, but Alaric cleared his throat at her deadpan expression. “Klaus specifically requested you and we couldn’t very well argue with the most law abiding witch being his guardian!”

Her foot stamped on the ground. “But I don’t _want_ to be his guardian! Do my feelings not count in all of this?!”

“Of _course_ they do. We _absolutely_ sympathise, but the ruling has been made,” Carol Lockwood attempted to mediate, her eerily frozen smile on her face.

Caroline looked over at all of their faces, each one sweet but uncaring of her plight. She sighed and took a half-step forward. “Your council...ship, with all due respect, I didn’t do anything, so why am _I_ being punished?”

Alaric’s tongue clicked against the bridge of his mouth and after a moment of silence, he sat up with his hands clasped. “Alright, I have a proposal.”

Caroline’s eyes shot up with hope brimming in her eyes. 

“We won’t take back our ruling,” Alaric stated, waving his hand dismissively with a sly smile. “Too much paperwork.”

Her shoulders dropped and she readied herself to take the trip back to her place with the new bane of her existence still lounging on her furniture.

“But!” he raised a finger tentatively. “We will grant you regular access to the mortal world if you cooperate.”

Her body had reflexively tensed in preparation to release her full fury, but she felt her breath catch in her throat. “W-what?”

“Presently, you are only afforded five days a year to visit. If you accept the guardianship, you will be awarded unlimited travel year round, which will remain permanent on the condition you carry out your guardianship to a high standard.”

Mrs. Lockwood interjected, “Of course, with the collar we provide, Klaus must travel with you at all times.”

Her eyes looked around in aimless excitement, but she paused before questioning, “A high standard?”

Richard Lockwood took charge, an unsettling glint in his eye. “Mr. Mikaelson will be scheduled for a probationary hearing every year on the anniversary of his turning.”

Caroline’s eyebrows rose. Everything came with a catch with the Witches Council. It was hard to trust any of their words.

Richard’s expression faded into a patronising smile and his eyes creased. “We will review his sentencing. If you do well as his guardian, we will determine whether his years as a cat will be reduced. Do well enough and he’ll only be a cat for _five_ years at most. It’s _that_ simple.”

She slammed the closet door behind her and crashed into the pillows neatly arranged on her couch. Simple her ass. They didn’t have to live with him.

“How did it go?”

Klaus appeared at her side almost immediately, sitting on the floor between the couch and the coffee table.

“Which would you like first? The good news, the other good news, the bad news, or the _other_ bad news?” she mumbled into the green velvet fabric.

“Surprise me.”

Caroline groaned and turned over onto her back, her blonde curls splayed out on the pillow. “The good news is they’re giving me access to the mortal world any time I want, but _only_ if I accept you as my familiar.” She fiddled with her nails mindlessly, attempting to numb the irritation. “The other good news is you’ll have a probationary hearing in a year, but the _other_ bad news is that no matter what, you’ll still be a cat for at least a few years.”

Klaus sighed, pacing across the floor before hopping onto the arm rest opposite her. “I really am sorry, love.”

She looked up at him, her blue eyes cast with dejection. “It doesn’t matter… This is my life now.”

He cautiously padded down onto the cushions and made his way to her arms, curling up beside them. “I promise you will barely notice a change.”

Caroline swallowed the lump in her throat and exhaled a tired laugh.

“But for future reference, love, I would prefer the turn of phrase, ‘this is my life meow’.”

“Oh my god.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is going to be 12 chapters (excluding the original drabble) so I hope you enjoy these crazy adventures!
> 
> COMMENTS ENCOURAGED!


	2. Part I: The Transmogrification

She had spent the night tossing and turning, ruminating on whether she could truly live with her ex...well, let’s keep it at just ‘ex’, for a whole year and then some. It was when she rose in the morning to find Klaus sniffing through her pantries, batting at boxes of food, she had to put her foot down.

“Seriously?” she began and tied up her hair upon entering the kitchen. “You couldn’t wait until I was up?”

The black cat’s head twisted to view her, paw removing itself from the box of cereal he had managed to locate. “My small stomach empties ever so quickly, love. Please be understanding of the circumstances,” Klaus mewled, his paws padding up to her.

Caroline glared down at him, holding her hands on her hips. “Yeah, well, you live in my apartment, so you eat when I eat.”

“Is this an attempt at training me? I won’t be swayed by these tactics of domination.”

“No, how could I  _ ever _ have thought that?” She rolled her eyes and sat lazily onto the kitchen-bar stool.

She chose to ignore whatever uncanny smirk was on his furry face and conjured up herself a bowl of cereal along with a second, smaller bowl for Klaus.

He hopped up onto a stool and then onto the counter, settling beside the smaller bowl. His tail curled appreciatively as he scooped a pawful of cheerios and ate them with a precious nibbling sound. Caroline shook her head and began eating her own breakfast. 

“So, what is on the schedule for today? Seeing as we have, oh say, five years to get reacquainted.”

With her mouth full of cereal, Caroline replied, “I thought a lot about it and I’m taking you to see Bonnie.”

Klaus’ little furry head tilted to the side and his expression was blank. If he wasn’t such a jerk, she might have enjoyed the cute mannerisms he was presenting her with.

“Wow.” She laughed drily. “You really were the friendliest kid in school.” Setting her spoon aside, she viewed him plainly. “Bonnie Bennett.”

“The Bennett witch? Kol’s girl?”

“I’m not sure she’d approve of that title considering…” Caroline tilted her head thoughtfully. “But yes, she’s, like, an expert in transmogrification. I thought maybe she’d know how to break this spell.”

His ears twitched curiously. “Oh, sweetheart, rebelling against the Council’s decision? How daring.”

“What the Council doesn't know won’t hurt them.” Caroline shrugged, levitating her spoon to stir her cereal. The Council had in fact sent an instruction package that included a very dashing red collar, with bell, and a sizeable carrier for him, but with Bonnie’s help, she wouldn’t need them for long. “It’s not like I plan to let you loose on the city. I just figure living with you as a human would make life a little easier.”

His voice was like melted butter as he purred, “Ah, so you  _ do _ miss my human physique, then?”

She glanced away and pursed her lips at the amusing comment. Her cheeks were, admittedly, warming. Why was she blushing at the words of a cat?

Though it was such an easy target, Klaus chose not to tease her and continued on, “That does beg the question: how do you expect the Council not to find out?”

Clearing her throat, Caroline mumbled, “I didn’t think that far ahead. We’ll wing it.” She sat up resolutely and grinned. “Ready to try your collar on?”

* * *

“You adopted a familiar?” Bonnie asked, her eyes wide as she peered into the white carrier with her fingers curling around the bars.

“Yeah,” Caroline replied with unease, keeping her eyes peeled for any of Klaus’ shenanigans. He kept to the back of the carrier, staring at the pair of them. “He’s  _ definitely _ a stubborn one.”

“Oh, but he looks so precious,” Bonnie cooed, a smile forming on her face.

With impeccable timing, Klaus replied with blinking eyes, “Why thank you.”

Bonnie’s face froze and she twisted her head between the two of them. “He?”

Caroline could only manage a simple answer, “Yes.”

“Kol sends his regards, I am sure,” Klaus spoke as he approached the bars of the carrier door, the bell on his collar jingling.

A guttural cough lept from Bonnie’s throat while Klaus’ feline physique recoiled in minor disgust.

“C-Caroline?” Bonnie stuttered and backed away.

Caroline winced from across the room, her shoulders tensing upward. “Yes?”

“Maybe I’m just hallucinating, but why does your cat sound like Klaus Mikaelson?”

Klaus chuckled and extended his claws playfully. “Would you say my voice is  _ familiar _ , Bonnie?”

“I swear to god, Klaus,” Caroline shouted briefly before sweetening her tone and rushing to her friend’s side. “Look, I know it’s a little weird—”

“Care, your  _ cat _ is the most wanted witch in the Realm!”

Caroline’s eyes bulged along with her panicked smile. “Well, not  _ anymore _ ...technically.”

Bonnie folded her arms and nodded once firmly. “I’m gonna need an explanation...you know, now.”

“They caught him and  _ this _ is his punishment.” Caroline tussled her hair, shrugging as she wandered across the floor.

“And the reason why he’s with  _ you _ ?”

She unhooked the carrier door, pulling it back to allow Klaus out into the space of her friend’s altar room. “They let him choose his guardian, and I guess...I’m the only one he could think of.”

“Huh…”

Caroline spun and held her arms out. “But that’s why we came to you! You’re really good at all this stuff, so I was thinking...you might be able to...fix it?”

“And go against the Council? I hate them as much as any witch, but  _ Care _ ,” Bonnie groaned, her sympathy only stretching so far.

“No! Not like ‘break’ it...but, like,  _ temporarily _ ,  _ maybe _ he could be... _ not _ a cat? Like some ‘when the clock strikes midnight’ sorta thing?”

“Care...I don’t know.”

Caroline’s face tensed and she took a few steps forward as she pleaded with her friend, “Please, Bon.”

After a long study of Caroline’s face, the Bennett witch sighed and nodded in acceptance. “Fine.” She took a glance at Klaus, who was tending to his paw atop a stack of books, and smiled brightly at her friend. “Would you go get my book on Transmogrification from my library? It’s red...with a woven spine!”

Caroline brightened up, “Uh, yeah, okay! I can do that!”

Once Caroline was safely out of the room, Bonnie stormed towards Klaus, whose furry head pulled back. In a hushed tone, she interrogated him, “What? You seriously thought this would be a good idea? You’d request her as your guardian and she’d fall in love with you all over again?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be the worst idea of mine,” Klaus reasoned.

“I swear if you’re planning something and she—”

Klaus sighed at her raised index finger and wandered across the table. “Bonnie, I have  _ no _ intention of hurting Caroline. You know I would never. Coming to you was her idea.”

Bonnie began to form a rebuttal, but Caroline came strutting in with a large, red book and the brightest smile on her face. “Got it!”

“Okay, let’s have a look.” Bonnie accepted the item into her arms. 

She sat before the book, laying it on the table before hovering her hands over it. With a gust of wind, the book began flipping pages with increasing speed, any pieces of dust trapped within flying away.

“There’s something.”

Klaus’ glassy, yellow eyes managed a quick roll. “Well,  _ do _ share.”

Bonnie lazily looked towards him, her expression dull, but sat up to address Caroline, “I can move his consciousness into something else…”

“Another body?”

“Um...not exactly. Let’s just test it out,” Bonnie muttered and went to pick Klaus up, who was less than impressed at being handled. She sat him amongst a ring of varying magical items and placed a crystal ball beside him.   
  


“Do you think my Familiar insurance will cover this when you undoubtedly mess it up?”

Caroline buried her amusement under a frown. “Be nice, Klaus.”

Bonnie shushed them and began her chanting. Caroline could make out parts of her spell, though it made her realise she hadn’t been practicing nearly as much as she should have been.

Her nerves were bubbling under her calm exterior as she watched her friend continue to chant, waving her hands across Klaus and the crystal ball. It was with a puff of smoke, that they viewed the, now, lifeless cat on the floorboards. 

Her instinctual panic was quickly dispelled when a voice came from the crystal ball and Klaus’ face came into a trapped existence.   
  


“Hello? Testing…” Klaus called out, his eyes glancing across his surroundings.

“Oh.” Caroline chewed on her lip, but conceded, “Well, while it’s nice to see your face again…”

His smirk was growing as he stared her way. “Ah, my  _ beautiful _ human face? I just knew you were suffering without it, love.”

She scoffed but allowed herself to laugh for once, “I didn’t say beautiful.”

Klaus only smirked further, but soon swallowed his amusement. “Look, as lovely as it is to be seen without a terrible amount of fur, I do feel more trapped than before.”

“Maybe that’s what you deserve,” Bonnie spat. She then looked to Caroline for her response, whose eyes were now downcast.

“Okay, put him back,” Caroline mumbled and crossed her arms over herself.

“You sure? At least with this, you could shove him in the closet whenever you wanted time alone.”

Caroline mustered a smile, shaking her head. “That  _ is _ tempting, but no, I think that would be more of a punishment than he deserves.”

Bonnie sighed heavily and began preparing the reversal.

“I’m gonna get a drink,” Caroline’s voice was dejected as she spoke. She glanced aside before taking her leave from the room.

Left alone once again, Bonnie turned her glaring expression towards Klaus and whispered angrily, “You’re so lucky she even gives a  _ single _ shit about you.”

Klaus swallowed, his jaw tensing. “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Having Klaus interact with Bonnie was just great to write!
> 
> COMMENTS ENCOURAGED!


	3. Part I: The Headlines

“Seeing as that was a bust,” Caroline lamented as she exited her closet, cat carrier in hand, “I think we better discuss some things.”

Klaus’ voice echoed in the small confines of the carrier, “What is there to discuss? I am resigned to life as a cat.”

“Five years if you’re good,” she was quick to remind as she set the carrier down on the kitchen counter. Her lips pursed as she fiddled with the small grated door. The Council had sent her something so flimsy it almost felt like a punishment in and of itself

Stretching out his feline legs, Klaus padded out of the carrier. “Sweetheart, I am the most powerful witch alive. Let’s not delude ourselves with such a short sentence.”

“Most? Don’t flatter yourself.” She rolled her eyes and slumped onto the bar stool, her hands moving over the kitchen island. Her eyes suddenly filled with worry. “You really think you’ll be like this for life?”

It was hard for her to admit, but those few moments he was in her presence as a human, before he turned into a cat, were invigorating. Caroline had wondered about his true whereabouts over the years, wondered if she ever crossed his mind even in a flickering memory.

Klaus produced something in between a sigh and a purr and jumped across to the laminate island counter. The bell attached to his collar jingled abruptly, hitting against the fabric. His tail curved as he sat before her. “You know my reputation amongst the Council isn’t a particularly fond one.”

She didn’t refuse the dull laugh that emerged from her. “You know, maybe if Alaric hadn’t joined the council, you’d have at least stood a chance.”

Klaus’ time in school was not short of trips to the principal. When Caroline was there to accept awards and help out in the office, he was there waiting to be seen by Mr. Saltzman.

His chuckle was low as he replied, “I think my crimes would beg to differ, love.”

He knew what he was doing when he spoke to her. Caroline was starting to get frustrated with every elongated syllable. Thankfully, his feline appearance was more than enough to keep her needs in check.

Caroline stared at his mischievous golden eyes and scoffed. “Right… Trying to take over the world... “

He laughed once again, flexing his claws out gently. “The National Witch Enquirer really inflated my misdeeds, but I’m flattered to know you kept up with me.”

She crossed her arms over one another and leaned in. His animated smile amongst his fur and whiskers was awfully cute. “Do you really think that I wasted my time keeping tabs? Even if I was living under a rock, you were all over the news, Klaus.”

“Well, I did have a contentious run.” He, somehow, managed a shrug of the top of his front legs.

“Actually, they never really mentioned the details of your...crimes,” Caroline admitted, thoughtfully resting on her fists. “It was always ‘Mad Man Niklaus Mikaelson on the Run’ and ‘How Your Council is Keeping You Safe From Niklaus Mikaelson’.” 

She giggled just thinking about the headlines. The articles would mention his actions here and there, never fully disclosing just how extensive they were. His raid of the Bank of The Realm was one of the most notable crimes, one committed early in his career. Caroline had been particularly intrigued by an article in The Realm Chronicle, in which a journalist had managed to get an ‘anonymous’ source on record, stating that Klaus was planning an attack on the mortal world. And that’s what the papers ran with.  _ Niklaus Mikaelson Plots to Take Over the World _ .

“Do you think I went mad, Caroline?” His sudden, innocent question was awfully loaded.

In all the years she had known him, his brain continued to amaze her with its calculated brilliance. Klaus Mikaelson could have teachers wrapped around his finger and spells perfected just like  _ that _ .

“I think you were happy to let people think that,” she retorted, lifting her chin.

“You know me well.”

Caroline let out a mixed sigh, her eyes travelling around him before she finally settled on his wide eyes. “So, what did you  _ really _ do? Taking over the world is kinda a broad accusation.”

“Well, sweetheart,” his voice purred as he settled on a place to curl up, his tale draping over a bowl of fruit. “After graduation,” the fur above his eyes flexed mischievously, “I started a faction. A real one.”

Her teeth clamped on the inside of her bottom lip. She didn’t need a reminder of graduation; it was a frequent inspiration of her...alone time. “Something a little more concrete than your band of Mikaelson groupies?” she decided to quip.

“Merely a preview of what was to come,” he said with a flitting paw. “You remember Marcel?”

“Gerard?” Caroline’s back curved as she sat up, her eyebrows raising. “He was smart. Good at protection spells.”

Yes, Marcel Gerard was another to frequent the Principal’s office, often alongside Klaus. He had managed to charm the assistant teacher into loaning the answer key for a few tests and glamoured the inside of his locker to appear empty. He devised an especially good cloaking  _ and _ protection spell for he and Klaus to break into Alaric’s safe during their Winter Ball.

“The very one,” he confirmed. “The Council is archaic. Five days a year into the Mortal world? Limits on the amount of power one witch can wield? Ridiculous. Marcel had some good ideas…”

“Which were?” Caroline looked expectantly. She was practically on the edge of her seat, though she would never oblige him with such an admission.

“Build a faction…take on the Council.”

He said it with such candour. It was hard not to fall into his ideas, hard not to see that he had a point underneath the smug delivery.

“So...taking over the world?”

His whiskers twitched at the accusation. “We managed to get an underground faction in the Southern Realm. They still don’t even know how big it is. I suggested we start filtering into the Mortal world, expand our reach.”

“What for?”

“You don’t think the Council has a stronghold in the Mortal world? We just started testing the waters of doing the same,” Klaus said it with ease, the roll of his tongue purring out.

Caroline squinted, rolling her chin on her fists. “So, you  _ did _ want to take over the world?”

“We wanted magic to be out in the open.” Klaus stretched upward, pawing along to nudge her forearm. Her body tensed reflexively, but his fur was so soft she had the sudden urge to coo at him. “Wouldn’t you love to be free to explore whenever and wherever you want? You could be the most powerful witch if you had the chance.”

Her eyes found his. She knew just how they would look if he were human. She had seen it before. The wonderment swirling, the hope to show her exactly what was out there.

Caroline sighed and sat back, crossing her arms. “Do you use that line on all your new recruits?”

“Only if they’re beautiful and full of light.”

“Oh my god,” she couldn’t help but laugh out her words, her body pulling itself off the seat.

Klaus chuckled and took her previous seat as a pathway to hop onto the floor. He followed her to the couch where she curled up. With her legs propped up against the cushions, she rested her chin on the palm of her hand and watched as Klaus took his place on the coffee table.

“I think we may have gone off topic,” he said impishly, taking a moment to inspect the inside of his paw. “What did you wish to discuss, love?”

Caroline kept her eyes on him for a long moment, analysing the way he blinked slowly at her. There was a time she wished so badly for a familiar, but she never really took the plunge; she wanted to have a stable situation before she welcomed a kitty into her life. She watched a few mortal documentaries on cats—she assumed they would be just the same as cats from the Realm—and found herself interested in how important the eyes were in expressing their feelings. She wondered if Klaus’ feline expressions reflected the same.

Shaking out of her thoughts, Caroline tousled her hair. “Living arrangements.”

“Ah.” His little chin lifted in the air. “I suppose you’ll want to get me a cat bed, though I must admit it will be a little  _ dehumanising _ .”

Her laugh reverberated through the air. “You don’t want a fluffy little bed for yourself? Maybe even a kitty nightgown?”

“Do you remember when I hid in your locker while you distracted Headmaster Saltzman? That was much less humiliating than the prospect of what you’re suggesting,” he quipped.

She pressed her lips together, though her eyes welcomed the familiar anecdote. It was the first time they had ever really spoken. It was quick, but it started a string of interactions that grew as time went on.

“Fine.” Caroline found herself sitting up, leaning into her knees as she addressed him. “No adorable kitty related items,” she murmured, smirking as she looked away.

“I shall take the couch as my bed, love.”

She couldn’t help but take pity on the way his eyes were downcast. There had to be some frustration within him; he couldn’t maintain the simple human pleasures of a proper bed. She didn’t know how he lived before the change, but she was sure that he accepted nothing but the best. 

God, why was she feeling sorry for him? He should be begging her to even let him sleep on the  _ couch _ .

“I mean…” Caroline puffed out a breath. “If you want...you can sleep on my bed.” She was quick to raise a warning finger, “But any  _ funny _ business and you’re back on the couch!”

Klaus’ little mouth curved up like the Cheshire Cat, always an unsettling sight, but her serious stare was enough to repress his laugh. “Of course.”

“And I swear if you try to spy on me in the shower—” 

Caroline had read a few anecdotes online of the creeping tendencies of felines.

He raised a paw, almost saluting her. “I will remain a gentleman...a gentle-cat, even.”

She glared at him but conceded, “Good.”

“Now, shall we discuss the matter of buying some kitty litter?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading! This was a conversation heavy chapter (though really...they all are). Next chapter we'll be seeing another familiar face wink wink. WHO COULD IT BE? Haha but seriously, I'm having a lot of fun with this story. There's going to be 12 chapters (not including the original drabble) in total so please enjoy the ride (and yes, if you're wondering, there will be a high school flashback chapter) and give me your thoughts! I would love to hear them!
> 
> COMMENTS ENCOURAGED AND GREATLY APPRECIATED!
> 
> If you like this, you might like my other story 'Psychedelic Kicks' or maybe some of my other stories! Just go to my Works page and have at it, love! Otherwise, you can find me on tumblr under the same username!


	4. Part I: The Youngest Mikaelson

Having a cat around the house was a nice thought —she often imagined a little ragdoll kitten pawing at her while she attempted to read—, but when the cat in question can make well-timed quips at her expense, it didn't sound so appealing. Living with the trapped consciousness of an old flame in the form of a feline wasn’t an easy sell, but here they were, one month on, living in an oddly harmonious way.

Klaus found himself exploring the inside of her little shop, pawing at the rotating stand of amulets. "So, how many of these  _ actually  _ do anything?" he drawled, using a claw to hook around one necklace chain.

He had spent the better part of his time navigating the complex physicality of his new body. Certainly, he didn’t prefer it to being human, but there was a novelty to being able to go where he pleased. It wasn’t all pleasant, though. He had been reluctant to clean himself like the common cat at first, but once he tried it, he had to admit the benefits. However, Caroline drew the line at a litter box, insisting he figure out the toilet, a rule that was probably for the best...for both of them.

“The ones on there are for decoration; I keep the ones with actual power behind the counter,” she replied absentmindedly while she thumbed through the stock list. “Can’t trust  _ some  _ witches to behave in my shop.”

The pinging of her phone beside her caught her attention. In all of the wonder that magic provided, she was still thankful for the pieces of technology that the Other Realm adopted, television and smartphones included. And then there was the added bonus of inter-realm connection if you paid the right price.

As Caroline read the message, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Caroline pushed her shoulders back and attempted to maintain her relaxed demeanour, “So, I have a question.”

Klaus displayed a grin to himself and rounded the corner of another stand. He sauntered across the shop floor, his furry legs stretched along the wood. If the intentions of his punishment were to damage his dignity, they chose the wrong animal. The dangerous feline appearance was well-suited to him.

Her body hitched as he launched onto the counter, landing on her stock book. Bracing her best smile, Caroline posed her question, “Why’d you choose me?” When his ears twitched in confusion, she expanded, “As your guardian.”

His head tilted in a fashion that elicited a warmth in her heart. If he wasn’t such a son of a bitch, she could almost say he was cute. “I believe I already mentioned.”

She sighed and set her pen down, the plastic clattering against the surface. “Yeah, you trust me, whatever, but we hadn’t seen each other in almost ten years. I could have turned Dark...or something,” Caroline fumbled her argument.

His sharp little fangs poked as he grinned through his reply, “I would have rather liked to have seen that; Caroline Forbes. Dark.”

She tugged at the bell around his neck in annoyance. She ought to get him a shock collar instead. “There’s absolutely  _ nothing  _ about Dark magic that attracts me.”

“Nothing?” The fur above his eyes wiggled much like an eyebrow raise.

Despite his words, they knew not to joke about Dark magic. If Klaus had dabbled in it, Caroline would have known by now — his aura would be spattered with darkness. To practice the Dark magic, would be to mess with nature itself. Necromancy was one of the most notable inclusion of its abilities; those who were caught using it were sent straight to their deaths.

Flitting her fingers away from his collar, she dismissed his bait with a short look. “Seriously, though,” she led the conversation back, “I mean, I get why they wouldn’t let you choose Kol, and Elijah is far too much of an enabler, even if he  _ does  _ live in the Mortal World—” Klaus’ glassy yellow eyes displayed an amused glint. “—but what about Rebekah?”

If you had ever wondered whether the Other Realm allowed strip clubs, Kol Mikaelson was happy to enlighten. Their older brother Elijah was a little better, being blessed with the politeness and tact expected of a person, but while he didn’t encourage his siblings’ antics, he certainly made no attempt to stop them. There was a small twitter that he was involved in Klaus’ raid of the Bank, but he soon relocated to the Mortal World long-term. Elijah was as much a parental figure to his siblings as one could be, their actual parents sentenced to death for trying to use Dark magic on the Mortal World — they were the reason for the Council’s limit on everyone’s powers.

Rebekah Mikaelson, however, was the most well-adjusted. At the Boarding School, she made no attempt to play nice and often followed her brothers’ footsteps, but after graduation, she became a whole new person. One fateful night saw her connecting with Stefan Salvatore, who was enamoured by her in an instant as much as she was enamoured by his social standing. Stefan was the son of the affluent Council members Giuseppe and Lillian Salvatore. Damon, his older brother, had cast a shadow on the family when he dabbled in Dark magic, but as the story goes, the prodigal son returneth. Their parents were the second highest ranking members of the Council, a connection that carried on to their sons, even after their deaths. And by extension, Rebekah was granted entrance into high society.

Caroline had been shocked to see her dripping in jewels at the Annual Winter Ball held by the Council. Rebekah gushed about how she and Stefan were planning a wedding and considering children with the prospect of a huge baby shower — she was always one to be seduced by Mortal conventions. Caroline couldn’t blame the girl for being so taken in by that life. The Mikaelson daughter had dealt with her family reputation looming over her all throughout school. To be seen with a Salvatore was to be respected. Since the Ball, she and Caroline had exchanged phone numbers, texting every so often with the occasional coffee meet-up.

Klaus exhaled through his black button-nose, his eyes closing momentarily. “Rebekah...wants nothing to do with me. She’s a Salvatore now.”

“But don’t you think she deserves to—”

“No.”

“Klaus,” she implored, her eyes straining.

“Caroline,” his heavy voice began, “Rebekah can’t know… Not yet. I’m not ready for her to see me like this, do you understand?”

Caroline analysed the way his fur stood on end, the frustration burning in his eyes. She glanced at her phone when it pinged once more, prompting her to chew on her lip. She cast an uneasy smile his way, her hair swaying as she leaned in. “So here’s the thing…”

Klaus sat back onto his bottom and stared blankly in wait.

“I may have spoken to Rebekah...and she wanted to stop by the store to catch up.” She jumped up from her stool as she watched him bristle. “Before you say anything, I didn’t tell her.”

A grumble erupted from his throat, but before he could unleash his anger, the bells above the door chimed and he was frozen in place.

“Rebekah!” Caroline greeted, the shake in her voice bubbling under.

The youngest Mikaelson stepped cautiously into the store, her silver-blonde locks cascading over her white, chiffon dress. Her tall heels clicked against the floor as she approached, her wide smile on show. “Caroline, how are you—? Oh!” Her shoulders jumped at the sight of the furry, black cat on the counter, its tail shooting up in surprise as she spoke. “You finally adopted a familiar. You did say you were thinking about it.”

Caroline glanced between Rebekah and Klaus. He stared up at her with a mixture of emotions. She could tell he was burying his anger deep under the pleading squint of his eyes.

She exhaled quietly and smiled at her friend. “Yeah, I just saw him and…I couldn’t resist.” Her eyes wandered to him again, fluttering with guilt.

“Well, you’re certainly following Mortal stereotypes with that coat of his,” she commented, a playful haughtiness present. “What’s the little fellow’s name?”

Fuck.

Her eyes darted about, landing on the business card of her store as the only source of inspiration.  _ The Crimson Craft. _

“Crimson.”

Okay, even for her standards, that was an abysmal choice.

Rebekah gave a bemused smile. “A little shameless promotion never hurt anyone, I suppose.” She stepped towards the counter and reached out to stroke his fur. “Such a cute kitty—”

Klaus recoiled at her touch, curling back against Caroline, whose waist pressed against the counter.

“He’s a little shy…” Caroline muttered before swallowing. “So, um, how are you? The news has been pretty quiet about your brother…”

“Which one?” Rebekah deadpanned before laughing in a low tone. “You know, Caroline, I had been waiting for you to ask.”

“Huh?” Caroline tensed, curling her fingers around the edge of the counter. Rebekah may have gained connections to the Council through Stefan, but the Council members themselves kept tight-lipped on all sorts of affairs. Then again...it was a wonder they didn’t brag to the newspapers about his arrest.

Rebekah’s devilish grin unnerved her. She spoke low with humour, “Please, Caroline.” She brushed a stray hair back in place. “You were absolutely infatuated with my brother, and don’t think I didn’t notice you reading the articles on him on more than one occasion.”

Caroline’s attempt at nonchalance was poor, but lucky for her, the Mikaelson girl interpreted it differently. There was a short wave of relief, but she felt the amused feline stare from under her.

Caroline spluttered as she avoided both pairs of eyes, “I-I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Come off it, Caroline,” Rebekah shot quickly. She then admitted with detachment, “Regardless, I have no interest in my brother’s whereabouts. He can choke for all I care.”

Caroline studied the disgust written all over Rebekah’s face, but was soon distracted by the down-turning of Klaus’ ears. Before she could reason with his sister, he jumped off the counter and padded towards the stairs, which she conjured with a wave of her hand in reaction.

The door into the shop knocked against the bells as a group of young witches entered. Rebekah braced a smile, though her eyes bled with hurt. “Well, I won’t keep you. I was on my way to meet Stefan for lunch. He’s talking about opening a pizzeria in the Main Square — it’s a whole thing.”

Caroline humoured her with a chuckle as Rebekah rolled her eyes with endearment. “Of course. I’ll see you around.” She waved her off as Rebekah exited with her purse clutched between her hands.

Caroline was left to her thoughts as the bell chimed again. Klaus’ emotions were no differently expressed than they were at school, it seemed, but she wondered how he would receive her comfort in this instance.

For once, she was thankful that the potential customers left as only ‘window shoppers’. With a flick of her fingers, she locked the door and flipped the sign to display ‘closed’.

With that, she bounded up the stairs. The silence of her apartment was deafening. She pondered his whereabouts; there were a few nooks and crannies he could hide in.

Caroline exhaled heavily when she spotted him curled up on the couch, pillows surrounding him. She approached with caution and opted to settle down onto the armrest. “I’m sorry, I should have—”

His low voice cut in, “Thank you...for not telling her.”

She nodded, fiddling with her hands in her lap. “Of course.”

“So,” he sighed and turned his furry little head her way, “you were infatuated, were you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so. ANNOUNCEMENT: Originally this was only meant to be 12 chapters and now, it's going to be 30. It started of as like a fun adventure story but...oh boy after that chapter 12 mark... ENJOY!
> 
> COMMENTS ARE ENCOURAGED AND GREATLY APPRECIATED


	5. Part I: The Mortal World

“So, how would you like to do this?” Klaus asked, sitting politely inside her suitcase atop a pile of folded clothing.

“I wanna break it to her gently.” Caroline held her hands above him with caution. “My mom knows about magic, but she’s not really  _ into _ it, okay?”

With all the distraction of the new normal, Caroline hadn’t thought to visit her mother in the Mortal world, but if the only perk of this arrangement was free travel, she would take  _ full  _ advantage.

“That’s a no on opening with the H.M.S Pinafore then?” Klaus displayed his best pout, his glassy yellow eyes brimming with faux-sadness. When she met him with an amused reception, he shrugged and conceded, “What? I dabble in a few mortal interests.”

Caroline laughed quietly, her musical notes fading into a sigh. “I think that’s a definite ‘no’.”

“I’m sure I could charm my way with her, love,” he attempted to persuade, letting his fluffy black tail wave around. “An adorable cat with a British accent? The two things women adore.”

“Yeah, it’ll be  _ great _ .” She raised her arms before she began her tirade of roleplay, ”‘Hey, mom! You know how you’re, like, not too jazzed about the whole magic thing? Well, my ex-boyfriend, slash the most wanted  _ criminal _ in the Realm, is living with me as a  _ cat _ !”

Klaus watched her with amusement, eyes lighting up at every emphasis she made. “Correction: I think my current state knocks me off of that Wanted list,” he quipped, raising a paw. “I could always pretend to be a regular cat the whole time? I’ve been working on my purring.”

She intended to face him with a sore lack of enthusiasm, but when he demonstrated a garbled chirp, a laugh was inevitable. “Very cute,” she complimented drily.

“I try.”

“But, no,” she quickly clarified, walking over to her dresser, “I don’t want her to walk in on you sleep-talking about world domination.”

He suddenly pulled his head back in surprise. “I don’t sleep-talk, do I?”

Caroline hid a smirk, collecting beauty products into her travel pouch. “Once or twice.”

Klaus dodged as she settled the pouch in between a pair of jeans. He practically choked out, “Well, what did I say?”

“I don’t think you wanna know,” she said ominously before straightening out her items.

“Oh, I think I do.”

“Hmm…” Caroline held a finger to her chin, eyes wandering as she debated. She looked at him with a bright smile. “Nope. Now, get out of my suitcase,” she commanded.

Though he frowned, Klaus jumped out of the hard-shell case just as she threw the lid shut. She then zipped it up with the flick of her wrist. 

His mouth curved up on both sides and he commented, “I do love to watch you do magic, sweetheart.”

“What? Does it get your rocks off?” Caroline scoffed, yanking her case off the bed. The wheels hit the floorboards with a thud, eliciting a flinch from Klaus. If there was one down side to life as a cat, an acute sense of hearing was just that.

“Actually, I find it rather disappointing.”

“Do I dare ask why?” She held her hands to her hips and sighed. If this was anything like high school, she predicted he would make a quick-witted remark about his superior powers.

Klaus padded across the sheets and settled at the end of the bed. “I know you are capable of so much more.” She squinted, her lips parting. “You’re wasting your powers away with this shop—”

“ _ Klaus _ .”

He raised his voice, “—and this is exactly why the Council needs to be reformed. If there was no limit on pow—”

“Seriously?!” She threw her hands up, strutting back and forth as she gathered his collar and carrier. “You were  _ caught _ and now you’re a  _ cat _ ! Hasn’t that dissuaded you enough?”

“Bold of you to assume this feline appearance could stop me; I thought you knew that of me?”

Caroline rolled her eyes, leaning down to secure his collar around his neck. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a real hero for the people and the darkness itself. Get in the carrier, Cat-Man.”

* * *

As they exited the other side of the closet, they entered Caroline’s childhood home. There was a basket to the side of the door, a neatly folded stack of sheets laid on top. Behind the basket, the white-painted bannister ran across, leading to the set of stairs that would take you to the ground floor.

It was nice to know her mother didn’t change much in between her absences.

“Mom!” she called out as she shut the door behind them, throwing her voice.

“Downstairs, Caroline!” her mother’s cheerful voice threw back.

Caroline held the carrier up to view Klaus and leaned in. “You wait until I introduce you, okay?”

“Of course.” He nodded in solidarity, his little frame curled up inside. “Meeting your mother is quite the step up in our relationship, wouldn’t you agree?”

She gave an irritated smile and held the carrier at her side, unaware of his grinning appearance. Leaving her suitcase by her bedroom, Caroline made the nervous trek downstairs. One might have thought that being aware of her daughter’s hidden magical gifts for sixteen years and then seeing them in practice for nine would ease the town sheriff’s view of magic, but in hindsight, it was a foolish thought. Liz Forbes liked things she understood.

“Mom, hey,” Caroline beamed as she entered the kitchen.

Her mother was busy with washing the dishes as she met Caroline with a smile. She removed her rubber gloves before greeting, “Caroline sweetie, how are you? How’s the store?”

“It’s good! Steady business,” Caroline replied with a frozen smile. She supposed now was a better time than ever to drop the bomb. “Mom… I want you to meet someone…”

When her mother raised a brow, she cautiously lifted the carrier onto the kitchen table and unhooked the door. 

“Oh...a cat,” Liz observed, taking a quick look as Klaus poked his head out. “How sweet. I didn’t realise there were pet stores there.”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Her mother had been to the Realm enough times to know it wasn’t perpetually stuck in the Dark Ages. “There’s a lot of them actually, but uh...so… I don’t know how to say this…”

“What’s wrong, Caroline?”

Caroline took a short pace across the kitchen before spinning around to face her mother. “The thing is...the cat… He’s my friend.”

Liz broke into a laugh and folded her arms. “Well, I’m sure he is! I hear pets make good company!”

“No… I mean, like,  _ literally _ my friend.” Caroline nodded her head and widened her eyes in emphasis.

Her mother’s face twisted in confusion and she held a hand to her hip.

“He uh—,” she began, but froze as the words were on the tip of her tongue.

_ Tried to take over the world. _

_ Was arrested by the Council that deals in magic-y things that I know you hate. _

_ Was my boyfriend at the Boarding School. _

“—cast a spell that...went wrong and for the time being—NOT forever—, is living with me as a...cat.” Caroline swallowed before making meek introductions, “Klaus, this is my mom. Mom, this is...Klaus.”

She gave him the nod of approval, though her eyes screamed with discomfort. He tilted his head but nonetheless, turned to Liz.

“Nice to meet you,” came rather relaxed from Klaus as he sat before the older Forbes.

She kept her eyes trained on her mother. There was a flicker of surprise and then...nothing. It was like watching your old laptop processing whether it could handle one last load of files. Perhaps, this was the moment her mother would finally just break. Just because she knew about magic, it didn’t mean she was equipped to accept the  _ wacky  _ stuff.

“Uh, Mom?” Caroline stood before her, waving her hand.

Before the silence could consume the conversation whole, they were saved by the bell as a rapid knock was heard at the front door. Liz was swift in parting from the room. “I’ll get that.”

When she was finally out of earshot, Caroline groaned and slumped onto a chair “Well, she didn’t faint at least,” she stated drily.

“I would call that a victory.” Klaus stretched out his paws, his little face scrunching before he addressed her smugly, “So which shall we unpack first, sweetheart?  _ Friend _ or spell gone awry?”

“Shut up, Klaus.”

Liz’ oddly energetic voice cut through to the kitchen, “Caroline! Your little friend Elena is at the door!”

Caroline’s lips spread out in bemusement. She rose from her seat, held a ‘sit right there’ gesture to Klaus, and called back as she exited the kitchen, “Little? Mom, we’re twenty-five.”

“Oh well, you know!” Liz laughed as she crossed paths with her daughter. “To me, you’re still kids!”

She patted Caroline on the shoulder, her smile brittle before she returned to the kitchen, leaving her daughter to the guest standing in the entrance. Caroline reserved a sigh for later, presenting her best smile when she caught sight of her childhood friend.

In their already small town, Elena Gilbert only lived a few doors down, so their friendship was inevitable. She looked as healthy as ever, her brown hair chopped into a bob that rested atop the shoulders of her denim jacket. In middle school, Elena was the ‘it’ girl. Boys were practically queuing up to have their crush of the week dedicated to her. It was a little intimidating for Caroline, who wanted so badly to be liked by people to no avail, but then she went to boarding school and just  _ one _ person did.

Despite the teenage resentment, they had made an effort to meet any time Caroline was in the Mortal world, but she remained vague about her job. It was better to avoid any outright lies; she wasn’t very good at them. Unfortunately, the last couple years had been a bit of a blur and Caroline had kept her visits limited to her mother’s house.

Elena held her hands out as her voice buzzed with excitement, “Wow! Caroline, you look amazing!”

After a quick hug, Caroline gave a tousle of her hair and giggled, “Tell that to the guys on my dating app!” 

She guided her to the couches, sitting them down beside one another. 

“You’re single?” Elena’s mouth was agape. “How...well, I guess everyone has their own path!”

Caroline repressed the roll of her eyes. Elena was a good friend, but she was blissfully ignorant of the world around her. “I guess…” She rolled her shoulders and asked with a smile, “Are you still dating Liam?”

“Actually,” Elena’s lips spread into a grin before she held out her hand, two rings on show, “we’re married!”

“Oh…” Caroline stared blankly at the giant rock sat on her finger; it was gorgeous. She quickly clambered for an excited reply, “OH! That’s awesome! Congrats!”

It was a strange feeling as she looked over her childhood friend. Elena looked so happy, so settled with life. It made her wonder what could have been if she’d just come back after graduation.

“I would’ve invited you but,” Elena trailed off, her eyes wandering. She suddenly sat up, reaching for Caroline’s hands. “I mean, wow, working for Interpol! I knew you wouldn’t have time to get away.”

_ Interpol _ ? Caroline would have to kill her mother later for that one.

Elena wrinkled her nose and continued on, “You know, if you’re in town for a while, I have just the guy who’d love to take you out.”

Though she looked upon her friend with suspicion, Caroline replied cautiously, “Alright… I’ll bite. Who?”

“Matt Donovan.”

“Matt Donovan?! I thought he got married to some girl named April.”

Elena held that delicious, all-knowing grin before divulging, “She left him at the altar.”

Caroline sat back and glanced across the room. “Poor Matt…”

“Yeah yeah, poor Matt.” Elena flitted her fingers and smiled. “Say the word and I’ll set you two up.”

_ God _ , married life had made Elena such a gossip.

The idea of a date  _ did  _ sound nice. She couldn’t remember the last time she had something casual, and the last time she had a boyfriend? She would rather not think about that. “Oh, I don’t wanna be a bother if he’s busy,” she attempted to dull her interest as she spoke.

“It’s nothing!” Elena dismissed her fears, eyes widening with excitement. “I’ve already talked to him about you!”   
  


“You have?”

Elena was confident in her honesty, leaning back against the pillows, “Well, your mom said you were visiting and his divorce papers just got finalised, so I just mentioned it to him casually.”

Caroline squinted for a moment, muttering, “Uh...huh…” She spent a further moment ruminating on the proposition, but shrugged her shoulders and replied with a bright expression, “Okay, uh, yeah, that sounds great.”

* * *

As she crashed onto her large bed, which was wrapped in her old Powerpuff Girls sheets, Klaus’ voice crept up beside her, “So, love, you’ll be going on a date?”

Caroline clutched her chest instinctively but relaxed when his fluffy frame came and sat beside her. “Have you ever heard of a thing called privacy?” she asked drily, brushing a hair off her cheek. “Besides, it’ll be fun. Who knows? Maybe we’ll hit it off.”

“I’m not sure why you’re entertaining the idea; inter-realm dating is hardly ideal,” Klaus stated plainly as he flexed his claws. “Plan to push the Interpol story until you’re popping out those sweet as pie children that mortals  _ love  _ to indoctrinate you into believing is the ultimate fantasy?”

Her eyes rolled back playfully and she sighed, “Well, it wouldn’t  _ be  _ inter-realm dating if I move here for good.”

He spluttered, his eyes widening cartoonishly, “I-I beg your pardon, sweetheart?”

Caroline rolled over, propping her head up with her hand. She couldn’t resist a small tug of his whiskers as she explained, “As your guardian, I get free, unlimited travel, and seeing as I’m stuck with you... Might as well give it a test-drive!”

His mouth twisted up in an effort to recoil from her hand. He began to raise his voice, “You cannot be serious!”

She giggled, but pressed her lips together tightly and pointed to them with her index finger. “Do you see this face? It’s  _ very _ serious.”

“ _ Caroline _ .” Klaus gave her a death stare and spat his question, “Why on  _ Earth _ would you  _ ever  _ want to settle down here?”

“Look,” she rolled onto her back once more, “it might not mean anything to you, but I grew up here!”

“And so you’ll die here?” he ranted onward, his claws clutching the sheets. “Very fitting for someone with mortal heritage.”

Caroline’s loud groan was paired with a shake of her hands into the air. “ _ God _ , Klaus, why do you have to be so dramatic?”

“Because,” he was now shouting, “you are the strongest and most capable witch I have ever laid eyes on and I would rather die than see you waste it!”

Caroline was winded by his admission, her ability to speak squandered in one sentence. She sucked in a breath and exhaled it shakily when she looked his way, “W-what?”

“Don’t look so shocked, love. This isn’t a new opinion of mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **COMMENTS ARE ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED!**
> 
> _So, this is the first half of our little trip to the Mortal Realm oooh! I'm really excited for you guys to see what's going to happen with this story. After chapter 6, chapter 7 is going to be a flashback chapter and then we will be seeing ourselves into what I'd like to call Part 2 of this story where there's...medium stakes._


	6. Part I: The Mortal Dating Scene

Caroline stood in front of the mirror, a pensive expression on her face as she judged her first attempt at a date outfit. Her fingers rested on the waistband of her black skirt and she asked, “What do you think?”

“About what?” Klaus asked back lazily. He was curled up on the bed, staring off into space.

She twisted around and gestured to her whole body. “Does it look nice?”

He sighed heavily and spoke as he stretched out along the flowery sheets, “Sweetheart, when I chose you as my guardian, I didn’t expect to be helping you get ready for dates with silly mortal boys.”

“Consider this as an extension of your punishment,” she replied with sweet cynicism. “Now, do I look good?”

He leaped off the mattress, his paws landing silently against the wood. “Do you want my honest opinion?”

Caroline leaned on one foot for a moment, lips twisting in thought. When she gave a firm nod, he sighed and padded across the floor.

“You would look wonderful in anything, Caroline,” he muttered as he hopped onto the vanity. “But since we’re playing dress up, I quite like you in that yellow sun dress of yours.”

“Oh, uh, yeah,” she agreed, clearing her throat. With a snap of her fingers, her two-piece was off and the very yellow dress was hugging her waist. The fabric jumped as she made the change.

His little fluffy expression curled into a smirk as he sat politely on top of a music box. “Beautiful,” he mused, no distractions in his way as he admired her look.

Caroline swallowed the flush in her face, distracting herself by idly sorting through a chest of drawers. “U-uh thanks,” she quietly mustered.

It had been a couple days since Klaus had told her exactly what he thought and Caroline was  _ still _ reeling. She hadn’t completely disregarded the idea of living in the Mortal world, but his passionate admission was enough to make her reconsider. She wouldn’t let him know that, however.

“So,” he began the change of subject with a tired breath, “what is your history with this Matt?”

Caroline laughed through her nose and wandered along before she sat down at the vanity with her dress bunched up. “My...history?” she clarified with a grin.

His little button nose gave an unimpressed wiggle, but she viewed him so enamoured nonetheless. She had avoided giving any commentary on how cute he looked as a cat, but any attempts at seriousness by him were clouded by his fluffy exterior.

“Your friend Elena certainly seemed to think you would be a good fit,” he lifted his head as he recalled, his voice one of irritation.

Caroline pressed her lips together, covering her amusement by the application of lipstick. When she finally calmed the laugh begging to break free, she popped her lips and sat back with a smile. “Not that it’s any of your business...or even relevant, I had a crush on him in middle school.”

She could see him trying his best not to twitch, his eyes staring blankly at her from his perch. “I see,” was all he replied with.

Though she knew it wasn’t nice to kick a dog, or cat, while it was down, she couldn’t resist toying with him just this once. Resting her arms onto the vanity, she leaned forward for a small whisper. “Are you jealous? It’s okay if you are, I won’t tell anyone,” her voice crackled with giggles by the end of her sentence.

Klaus presented his toothy disdain and readied himself to pounce off the pink box beneath his feet, but she had a different idea in mind. Caroline was quick to grab him by the soft patch of his tummy, holding him up into the air with a perfect grin.

“I really wish you wouldn’t man-handle me,” he murmured, staring down at her, and wiggled in her grip. “In any case,” he gritted his teeth, “I thought you were to reconsider this stint in the Mortal world? I assure you this  _ Matt’s _ hopes for the future are not the same as yours.”

She sighed in amusement, tilting her head. “Klaus, do you wanna know how long it’s been since I’ve been on a date?” Before he could guess, she interrupted with a raised voice, “Two years! And now, I have you and that just makes things a lot more complicated, so spare me the brooding and just let me have fun for once.”

They engaged in a long stare of wills, his glassy eyes unclear but his body tense under her fingers. With a tug of his upper lip, he relented, “I suppose, yes, fine.”

“Wow, that was a struggle,” she mumbled, eyes rolling at the sight of him.

“Now, let me down.”

Caroline sighed but fulfilled his request, careful to let him down on the vanity. He may have been a cat but she wasn’t about to test the theory of landing by dropping him then and there. She straightened out the edges of her dress and declared, “I’m going downstairs to wait for Matt. You’re welcome to join me.”

He refused her eye contact, to which she sighed and began to take her leave. Klaus swallowed, and looked down. Despite his attempt to appear disinterested, he took a covert glance at the sizeable blue satchel she snatched off the side of the bed.

Caroline released a final huff before she entered the kitchen with a bright smile. “Hi, Mom,” she greeted, swinging herself onto the nearest kitchen stool. She settled her bag onto the floor and rested her head on her hands.

“You look lovely, Caroline. Very respectable,” Liz commented, 

“Thanks.” She blew a wisp of hair from her face, suddenly becoming distracted by the state of her nails.

“Now, it’s been a while since you’ve visited, so just remember not to,” her mother trailed off, indicating her words with a twiddle of her fingers.

Caroline laughed, her eyes squinting. “What?”

“Matt is a nice boy,” she began slowly, politely gesturing her hands out, “but I don’t think he’d take well to the whole...you know.”

Caroline’s eyes rolled back as she sighed, “Yes,  _ Mom _ , I know. I’m not going to start chanting incantations in between the main and dessert.”

Liz pressed her lips together, but the urge to say her piece was clearly too great. “It’s just...men are already so threatened by powerful women, could you imagine if they had...your gifts as well?”

The younger Forbes presented a thoughtful frown. With Klaus’ criticisms, she could easily bat them off with a witty comment or two, but her mother was a different ball game. As much as she could deny it, there was some truth to the statement, especially in a small town like theirs. Her mother had good intentions, but it was a bitter reminder of the issues in her mind.

With her hand caught in the locks of her hair, Caroline froze at the sound of Klaus’ deep voice thundering into the kitchen, “Are you ashamed of your daughter, Ms. Forbes?” They both turned to find him carrying his little body along to sit on the table.

Liz swallowed at the unnerving combination of his question and appearance. “I uh…”

Flexing the claws out of his fluffy paws, he mused, “It seems to me as though you would have her hide her gifts in order to find a husband. Wouldn’t you rather she found someone who loved and  _ appreciated _ her for her talents?”

If there was a spell to sink into the floor, Caroline was eager to know it. Her blue eyes were frozen wide and she couldn’t even begin to wrap her head around the scene. When she finally braced herself to look at her mother, Liz’s mouth was hanging open like a fish. Directing her gaze at Klaus wasn’t exactly soothing either; he was viewing her mother with a proud glint in his eye, no intention of backing down.

When the doorbell sounded a gleeful chime, she squeaked, “That’s probably Matt!”

Caroline sped out of there as fast as she could with no desire to continue  _ that _ conversation. It did, however, give her a small twinge of happiness to have Klaus defending her so strongly. She shook off the thought as she pulled the door back.

“Caroline,” Matt greeted, a goofy smile plastered across his lips. He looked  _ good _ . He was wearing a dress-shirt that sat nicely against the muscles of his arms, a far cry from the small town boy she knew in middle school. Little Caroline would be so proud of her if she could see it.

“Wow,” she commented quietly, laughing out her surprise. “Matt, it’s nice to see you.”

“You too.” He paused to look around but suggested softly, “Shall we?”

Shaken out of her daze, she nodded fervently. “Yes! I just need to get my bag. Come on in!”

Caroline waved him inside, rushing back along to the kitchen, her eyes wide with excitement as Matt followed behind. She paused as she leaned down to pick up her bag, taking one sweep of the kitchen.

“Mom, where’s Klaus?” she posed the question quietly. She really shouldn’t have cared what he did with his time, but with a talking cat on the loose, her nerves would certainly be abuzz.

“I don’t know,” her mother responded shortly, eyebrows raised in irritation.

Matt’s firm voice cut into Caroline’s thoughts, “Who’s Klaus?”

Caroline swatted her hand dismissively. She laughed and rose from the floor with her bag in hand, unaware of the sudden change in its weight. “My cat. He’s a little shy. Probably just hiding under the couch or something. Let’s go.”

* * *

The restaurant was sweet. Matt was sweet. She had eaten there once or twice throughout the years. It had definitely taken on a more serious re-branding from the simple grill house it was before. Once they had ordered drinks, Matt had excused himself to use the bathroom. 

Caroline hummed as she took to viewing the large menu. It was a relief to have a moment alone. She had not realised how out of whack her dating skills had become.

It was in the midst of her nervous thoughts that the muffled voice called out, “I suggest the steak.”

Her whole body became statuesque. She could feel her temperature rising before she could even confirm her suspicions. With a swift flick of her wrist, she unzipped the bag beside her chair. It wasn’t long before Klaus’ fluffy head was poking out of the gap.

“OH MY G—” Caroline began to cough at the realisation she was being watched by the entire restaurant. She took in a heavy breath through her nose and leaned down to whisper, “What the hell are you doing here?!”

“Just thought I’d make sure you aren’t losing sight of reality, love,” he muttered before twisting his head to view the setting they were in. “I suppose it’s not so bad for a small town. Do make sure to ask him about his plans for the future, hm?”

Before she could muster an angry rebuttal, Caroline sensed the return of her date. She tensed her jaw, giving Klaus one last glare before lifting her head. Matt slid into his chair, presenting a inquisitive expression. She faltered into a nervous laugh, sighing as his brows bunched up in amusement.

“U-uh so, Matt, what are your...hopes...dreams, life goals?” she awkwardly giggled out the last word, muffling herself with a sip of her wine.

“I guess, become police chief, get married, have children. Just settle down for that quiet life, you know?”

Quiet. Peaceful. It all sounded so perfect and normal. It was the sort of thing television and films had told her to strive for, but why was she bored at the very mention of it all?

With an inward groan, she rested her hand against her forehead. She knew Klaus would be ready to take enjoyment in his correct predictions.

Caroline presented an uneasy smile and rested her arms on the table. “I’m going to be honest with you, Matt,” she declared softly, her eyes sympathetic. “Elena suggested this and I think it’s great that you’re putting yourself out there, but I don’t think I’m the girl for you.”

Though there was a twitch of sadness in his voice, he replied with kindness, “No problem. I get it.” He shrugged and laughed quietly, “I mean you travel  _ internationally, _ solving the biggest crimes the world has ever seen. I didn’t think you’d be into the white picket fences.”

“Right,” Caroline agreed with a breath of relief. “I guess we should probably go, right?”

“Oh no,” Matt laughed aloud, slapping his menu shut. “I have been stuck in my house moping over my marriage the last few months; we’re eating.”

She pressed her lips into a surrendering smile, nodding as she viewed the tablecloth. It was a nice development to gain him as a friend. She had never really stopped to think about Matt as more than a romantic prospect, disregarding how wonderful he was otherwise.

“Now, I want to hear all about working for Interpol,” he told her in a hushed tone.

Caroline twisted her lips, her gaze wandering away from their table. Well, she supposed she  _ could _ spin a few tall tales for the next hour or so.

She viewed him suddenly, her voice infused with energy, “Okay, so there’s this one guy we caught, he was, like, trying to  _ overthrow _ the government, thinks the ‘rules’ need changing! Can you believe that?” 

“What? That’s crazy!”

“I know!” she giggled through her words, an amusement that was spurred on further by Klaus’ apparent grumbling at her feet.

It  _ was _ best to draw from real life after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **COMMENTS ARE ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED**
> 
> _Thanks so much for reading, guys! I can't believe it took me so long to update! I hope you enjoyed it and that you'll look forward to the next chapter (the flashback is gonna be peaaaak)_


	7. Part I: The Skipper

**_Ten Years Ago_ **

Caroline was starting to become a little frustrated in this new school. Any time she thought she had figured out her way around, she was left stumped in the middle of the hallway, planner in hand. She attempted to catch the attention of a pair of girls, whose perfectly manicured nails gripped around their coffee cups.

“Hey, I love your blazer!” Caroline squeaked, presenting her best smile. If she had learned anything as a mortal, it was how to compliment; she didn’t spend her days watching pageants and Gossip Girl for nothing.

One of the girls, a redhead, sneered, “It’s a uniform.”

“Right, and you wear it really well!” Caroline’s eyes were sparkling with enthusiasm. “So, can you tell me where I’ll find,” she glanced at her school planner, “the Beginners’ Potions Class?”

With a breath from their noses, they grinned and the taller one replied, “No.  _ Sorry _ .”

Caroline pressed her lips together and nodded as they left without goodbye, their low-heeled shoes clicking against the stone flooring. Their voices, though whispers, were nothing short of obvious as they gossiped.

“Did you see her?”

“Oh my god, right?  _ Beginners _ !”

They erupted into giggles and skipped off around the corner, their heels falling out of earshot.

“Bitches,” she muttered under her breath.

This was an unusual experience for Caroline. Back home, she would never be the subject of ridicule. In fact, she was the one who ridiculed others! She would be the first to point out a fashion faux pas or a terrible haircut and she would look good doing it! Admittedly, she was realising that being on the receiving end wasn’t a fun experience.

Learning about her gifts was a shock, indeed, and being forced into attending a boarding school in a realm she had been blissfully unaware of was outrageous! It was settling to know that  _ every _ witch received their powers at sixteen, so she left for the Other Realm with an open mind. But it quickly became evident that she was one of very few in the entire school that grew up around mortals. Everyone else knew the textbooks like the back of their hand while she barely knew left from right in this world. It didn’t help that she started a month later than everyone else, either (her mother was  _ insistent _ that she start as soon as possible).

But who cared if she couldn’t cast a simple levitation spell? Anyone could wiggle their wrist but the whole ‘feel it in your soul’ was such a drag! She could do more with a T.V. remote than a stupid spell ever could!

“Shit,” came instinctively as Caroline realised she had forgotten her textbook. She did her best to go fast without actually running — she had learned they were real sticklers about that. She fumbled with her lock and cursed when it finally flew open. All the magic in the world and they couldn’t make lockers any more efficient?

Caroline felt a short gust of wind blow behind her and a shiver ran down her back. She intended to inspect, but she turned out at the worst of times, a body colliding with hers and taking them both to the ground.

She practically screamed as they went down, but felt his warm hand against her mouth before she could truly react. He stared down at her apologetically, though his grin suggested otherwise. He was a familiar face in the Freshman class, not one she knew well, but familiar. She glared, huffing as she pushed him off of her.

“My apologies, love,” he said calmly and pushed himself up off the ground. He extended his hand to her, lips twitching into a smirk.

Caroline bristled at the sudden sound of his accent. He was British like in that film Elena loved… What was it? Bridget Jones’ Diary! Or Harry Potter! She could have giggled if she wasn’t so ruffled by his violent introduction. She stared at his hand, but quickly lifted her chin and helped herself up, unconcerned with his amused reaction.

“Bloody bastard gave himself a cloaking spell and not me,” he grumbled, looking at the empty space down the hallway. He took a shifting look between Caroline and the locker before asking, “Is that your locker?”

“Uh—”

Was it? Oh! It was!

“Y-yes!”

“I need to borrow it.”

She laughed, squinting her eyes. “What?”

“Top tip: don’t trust a man when he tells you his plan is foolproof,” he leaned in to inform her, his voice quiet and humorous. “So can I borrow your locker?”

Damn, he had some nice, distracting dimples.

Chewing on her lip, Caroline replied, “Uhm, I guess…”

With a wink, he spoke in a low tone, “Thanks, sweetheart.” He looked her up and down and she frowned at the bubble of nerves within. Did he have to give her such a judgemental once over like the rest of their grade?

One more moment and he was stuffing himself into her locker and doing a little trick of the wrist to shut himself in. Her eyes were straining and her brows furrowed as she attempted to comprehend the situation.

Before Caroline could catch her breath, she was accosted by Principal Saltzman, who managed to skid to a stop before he, too, collided with her.

Their principal was no Dumbledore. Not a cloak or pointy hat in sight. He looked and acted like any regular teacher at her old school except for all the magic, of course. However, for a principal, he was always so casually dressed.

Principal Saltzman’s body twisted as he viewed either end of the hallway. He looked at her, his lips twitching and voice heavy, “Did you see Marcellus Gerard or Niklaus Mikaelson pass through?”

She pressed her lips together and shook her head. When one of his brows raised, she quickly rushed out, “Who? I was just using my locker. Didn’t see a thing, sorry.”

He seemed to collect his anger, inhaling and exhaling slowly through his nose. “I’ll have to find them later,” he mused and turned to her completely. “Thank you for your honesty, Caroline.”

Caroline grimaced. She wasn’t exactly a goody two shoes in school, but she had never lied to a teacher, let alone the PRINCIPAL. Scratch that. The ‘probably could turn me into a toad for the rest of my life’, magic-wielding principal.

Swallowing gently, she murmured. “No problem...sir.”

Principal Saltzman’s expression softened, his eyes crescent as he smiled. “How are you finding the school?”

“It’s...good.” Caroline couldn’t help the small shrug of her shoulders and the deflated attempt at happiness. “It’s different...but good.”

He took a short pace around her, his hands clasped behind his back. With a turn of his heel, he asked, “May I offer you some words of wisdom?”

“Sir?”

“I advise you to stay away from the Mikaelson boy and his cohorts,” Principal Saltzman leaned in, his hushed voice striking a chord. “Just like the Mortal World, you can’t trust even the nicest of people.”

“Yes, sir.”

Once again, his face softened and he presented a calm smile. “I see great potential in you, Caroline,” he told her plainly, smiling further as he viewed her surprise.

Caroline couldn’t believe her ears. Out of all the witches,  _ she _ had potential? Everyone else was leagues ahead of her and  _ she _ was the one he saw going on to do great things? She barely stuttered out a ‘thank you’ when he noticed her planner opened out on the hallway floor. Though his eyes shifted, he whisked the book up with a flutter of his wrist. She jumped a little at the sight of it, nodding her head as he levitated it into her hands.

“Carry on,” he instructed, pulling his hands behind his back, and made his way down the corridor.

As the sound of his footsteps dissipated, she fiddled with her planner and slowly moved back to her locker. She took a long look at the end of the hall, chewing on her lip.

“Uh...he’s gone,” she whispered and began unlocking the door, huffing at the ever-fiddly nature of the lock.

When she finally managed it open, his handsome visage stared down at her. He grinned, flicking his gaze across her features. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

She felt her cheeks flush in the face of his entrancing blue eyes, but soon cleared her throat. “Sweetheart? Aren’t you, like, sixteen?” she spat, folding her arms. He raised an eyebrow and she relented, “It’s Caroline.”

“Caroline,” he repeated so smoothly as he climbed out of the locker. “If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought you were playing truant.”

Caroline gave her best glare and tossed her hair over her shoulder before she pulled out her textbook. “I’m not. I just...can’t find my classroom and then I forgot my book and those stupid b—” she shut the door behind him and clicked the lock shut, sighing as she leaned against it, “they wouldn’t tell me.”

“I’m well connected, love,” he bragged with a sympathetic smile. “Say the word and those girls will be walking you to class.”

“Thanks,” as quick as she presented a smile of pearly whites, she scowled, “but no thanks.” She pushed herself off the locker and began heading in what she guessed to be the right direction. “I don’t need your help to make friends.”

“Then I’ll walk you.”

A reflexive laugh left her lips and she tilted her head, pausing her steps. “I thought you were hiding from the Principal?”

He shrugged and placed his hands in the pockets of his trousers. “A small price to pay.”

She turned on her heel and frowned. “Fine.”

“What’s on the schedule?”

Caroline swallowed gently and murmured, “Beginner’s Potions.”

With a devilish smile, he informed her, “In that case, I believe you will be wanting to head this way, love.”

She opened her mouth, but it twisted into a grimace before she could form a rebuttal. Clutching her books tightly, she strutted past him. The way he followed closely behind only made her heart twinge with excitement.

As he finally caught up beside her, she asked, “So what did you do?”

“Hm?”

Her lips pushed out in thought. “For Principal Saltzman to be chasing you down you must have done something bad, right?”

“Ah,” he smiled, looking down at his feet. “We might have gotten our hands on a few...off-limits potions.”

A quiet laugh escaped her, but she cleared her throat. “And are you Marcellus or Niklaus?”

He turned his head, willing her to do the same, and spoke, “ _ Klaus _ .”

She blushed at his correction and nodded carefully. Her breath caught in her throat as he took a hold of her arm, guiding her around a corner. He finally let his hand slip from her and came to a stop in front of a door. She held the spot on her arm where his touch had been, disturbed by the cold sensation after his release.

“Here we are: Beginners’ Potions.” 

Caroline found herself unable to make eye contact, her eyelashes fluttering as she replied, “Thanks.”

“And if you should find yourself lost again, I would be happy to walk you,” he gleefully informed her, shoving his hands into his pockets once again.

“Why?”

Klaus took a careful step forward and muttered, “I fancy you.”

“What?” Caroline heard that record scratch in her head and she looked at him with the most incredulous expression. She was waiting for the cymbals, for the punchline, for Ashton Kutcher to tell her she was being punk’d, but he just stared at her with a terribly goofy smile that could melt her in an instant. She folded her arms and stated, “You don’t even know me.”

Caroline wasn’t buying it. This...admittedly attractive guy liked her? Well, if magic was real then sure, why not?! If they were in the mortal world, he would just be another guy on the growing list of Elena’s admirers.

He hummed and nodded. His calm voice travelled like music to her ears, “You are Caroline Forbes, the only mortal grown witch—a ‘skipper’—in the freshman class. Abysmal spellcaster…” He smirked at the irritated quirk of her lip and asked, “How am I doing?”

Caroline would come to learn that a ‘skipper’ was the dumb nickname given to witches whose magical heritage skipped a generation. Mortal or magical, teenagers would find a way to mock anything that was different.

She huffed and looked aside. “So you listen to gossip. Good for you.”

Klaus pursed his lips and she did her best not to glance his way, but they really were pretty. He spoke matter-of-factly, “I’ve never been one for it, but your name is on a lot of lips around here.”

Caroline finally took the leap and viewed him directly, her bright blue eyes piercing his deep blue. “From what I hear, you are, too.”

“I hope to be only on yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **COMMENTS ARE ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED**
> 
> **So! We finally see how Klaus and Caroline met for the first time! And I HAD A CRAZY IDEA: after this main story is over, would you guys be interested in a full story of Klaus and Caroline in the boarding school? I had a lot of fun writing this and I feel like it's kind of hard to just recap their whole relationship pre-story in one chapter.**
> 
> **Also, this is the end of Part I of the story! Next chapter begins Part II where we'll get a little more...interesting ;)**


	8. Part II: The Other Method

“Bishop to B4,” Klaus said it with such drama that one would think their game was a match to the death, though the life of a cat  _ was _ sorely in need of excitement.

Caroline raised an eyebrow at the fluffy, black cat across the table. He blinked slowly, his little mouth twitching.

“ _ Please _ , sweetheart.”

The corners of her lips pushed up and she fulfilled his request, moving the chest piece to the desired location. She considered the positions for a moment and carefully knocked over one of his pawns.

Klaus sighed, lifting a paw to his head, “This would be a lot easier if I had opposable thumbs.”

She laughed as she removed the piece from the board. There weren’t a lot of things that Klaus could do to pass the time, so when her mother offered up an old chess set at the end of their stay, Caroline figured it would be a nice activity for them to engage in.

After their visit to the Mortal World, their situation came to be almost normal. Although he resisted the urge to say ‘I told you so’, which Caroline most appreciated, Klaus was delighted that she had quashed the idea of leaving the Realm.

They were well into their seventh month of living together and the days just passed by without notice. Before, she would spend all of her time in the store, fixing displays and putting her best sales pitch forward to any witch that entered, but with Klaus around 24/7, she had adjusted. She began adhering to the closing time on the front of the door, no longer staying open until midnight ‘just in case’ someone needed something. More often than not, she would find herself wishing for the day to be over so she and Klaus could play a quick round of chess before dinner.

“You know I never asked,” Caroline began as she thought over her next move, “how did you get caught?”

She could see one of his fangs poking out from under his lip, but he obliged with a haughty tone, “A slight misstep when moving between the Realm and the Mortal World.”

Caroline rested her chin against her hand, lazily shifting a pawn one place forward. “Klaus Mikaelson making a mistake? That’s new.”

He cleared his throat and muttered, “Well, I suspect the Council’s control on the magic had a hand in that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I evaded capture for years, moving between the Realm and the Mortal World countless times,  _ undetected _ .”

She stared blankly at his feline visage, her head tilting ever so slightly. It wasn’t that she thought it was impossible, but she really had no interest in his conspiracy theories. She understood his attitudes to the Council perfectly at this point, but she wasn’t so easily convinced.

Klaus sighed and flexed his claws against the chessboard. “I had not made the trip for  _ six _ months, Caroline. I make one trip and my exact location is compromised?”

Caroline twisted her lips, shrugging. “Didn’t you say you had people in the Mortal World? Maybe  _ they _ ratted you out.”

Her suggestion was more controversial than she had anticipated as his frame tensed before her.

“They wouldn’t.”

Caroline studied his expression; it was hard and unmoving. She had become attuned to the different facial expressions of Klaus’ new appearance and the twitches in his body, though at times they were oddly human-like. 

She sucked in a breath and folded her arms onto the table. “Okay, then. If I’m understanding you correctly, you think that the Council, whose  _ one _ job,” she firmly raised an index finger, twiddling it around, “is to bring  _ fairness _ and to regulate the Realm, have been sneaking some extra power for themselves?”

“Precisely.”

“ _ Klaus _ ,” she gave him an imploring eye. “Isn’t it time you just  _ accept _ it?”

“Absolutely not,” he brushed her off and hopped down from the stack of books atop his stool. She followed him as he climbed onto the kitchen island but made sure to roll her eyes before she did so. “In fact,” he raised aloud, “I’m not sure why we accepted it in the first place. The Bennett witch can’t be the  _ only _ option we have in turning me back, surely.”

Caroline stared at him, slack-jawed, before responding with a dry laugh and a slap against her hip. “Great. It’s like we’ve come full circle  _ all the way _ back to the denial stage,” she let her exasperation out under her breath. Klaus gave no reply; he just sat as though he were waiting for more.

It was silly. Of course it was! Caroline couldn’t believe he would even  _ consider _ it.

Yet, as she stared into space, her mind abuzz, she couldn’t help herself from wondering… Unless?

One corner of Caroline’s lips pushed up and she cautiously debated, “Now that you mention it, though, there’s gotta be something, right? A spell or an...object that can reverse any magic?”

His tiny mouth spread into an uncanny grin. “I knew you would start finding the allure in my ‘world domination’” he teased, his paws flexing against the counter.

Caroline released a sigh of frustration and shot a glare his way. “Look, I’m not saying I buy into this whole ‘sneaky Council’ thing...but…” her expression softened and she grimaced, “I mean, what harm could there be in just...doing a little...research?”

“Of course.”

She held her arms tightly and tapped a finger against her elbow in quick succession as she leaned against the kitchen island.

_ Think, Caroline. _

With a gasp and wide eyes, she exclaimed, “There’s, like, a bajillion year old book in the store on spell reversals!” The fur above his eyes raised in amusement. “I’ve had it for years but no one bought it so I just shoved it in the back! I can’t believe I forgot about it!”

As she conjured the stairs down, her bright smile strained. Caroline found herself wondering why she was so excited, why the prospect of him being human again made her heart thrum like a quick strike back and forth on the strings of a violin. Yes, she could argue that the idea of using more than just the everyday ‘turn on the lights’ flick of the wrist magic sounded fun, but there was  _ something _ else.

Caroline’s feet went quickly down into the store, where it was now dimly-lit, and she scurried into the small, back room, guarded by a purple, velvet curtain. She could barely still herself but she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. In her mind, she was thumbing through the contents of the room, every charm, every crystal, every book and...there. Her eyes shot open and she reached for the book on the second shelf, behind a small, antique box.

It was as dusty as one would imagine, but the condition it was in was immaculate. When she had bought it, she made sure to give it a preservation charm. She had thought it would be a sure sell, but as time passed, the book just sat in the glass case, untouched, so she put it in storage.

Caroline dismissed the stairs out of existence when she returned to the kitchen. Klaus had been sitting patiently, examining his claws, when she placed the book onto the counter. It was thick and the black spine was detailed in red lettering.

“Bloody hell, love, we’ve been living like this for over  _ half a year _ and you just  _ forgot _ to mention you were holding onto this?”

She frowned, slumping onto the bar stool. “I didn’t forget to  _ mention _ . I forgot I had it in the first place, actually.”

A tiny breath exhaled from his nose and he mused, “I suppose we best get reading then.”

“You mean  _ me _ .”

He simply stared and she allowed him a short laugh before falling into a silence as she opened up the book. She rose her fingers above it, humming as she closed her eyes. With a whisk of the wind, the pages flew open, one atop the other, and Klaus watched in awe.

She paused, her lashes lifting. “There’s a gem,” Caroline spoke firmly, looking his way.

“Well?”

She let the desired page fall calmly against the rest and pressed her hand against the opposing one.

“‘Quite possibly the most powerful method of spell reversal in the Realm. It was greatly coveted amongst high-level witches’,” she read aloud, her finger running under the ink lettering. 

Caroline glanced at Klaus and he urged her on with a slow nod.

“After the implementation of the Realm’s council, it was decided amongst members that the gem be considered an artefact and returned to the descendants of the witch who crafted it.”

“And that would be?”

Caroline was quick to ‘shush’ him, her eyes locked on the page.

“‘The gem now resides in the care of’...” Caroline’s eyes became wide and she choked out, “‘the family Salvatore’.”

“You can’t be serious, love…”

“Klaus, you know what this means, right?” she asked incredulously, her eyelashes fluttering. After the visible lock of his jaw, Caroline finally uttered the answer, “Your sister has the gem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **COMMENTS ARE ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED**
> 
> **_Oh, shit._ We are now entering _Part II_ and we'll being seeing a _very_ familiar face next chapter! I bet you were all wondering when we'd see Rebekah again! Time to take a trip to the Salvatore Boarding House to see her ;)**
> 
> **I just want to say a big thank you to all who are commenting! i'm really glad you're enjoying this and as we move into a more _structured_ plot, I hope you'll adore it!**


	9. Part II: The Family Visit

Caroline was clasping a silver pendant around her neck, tilting her head as she fiddled with the placement. With most of her time spent at home or in the shop as of late, going out was a rare occasion, one she would take advantage of, even if it was to possibly engage in illegal activities.

“Pretty,” Klaus mused as he hopped onto the space on her vanity.

“Thank you.”

“I wasn’t talking about the necklace.” His feline features curled into a grin and she rolled her eyes. He sighed, turning to view her through the mirror. “I still don’t understand why we have to tell her.”

Since she and Klaus had discovered the possibility of fixing their predicament once and for all, things had been a little quiet. It was a dangerous task, retrieving the gem, and with his sister as the only way in, they found themselves at an impasse.

Caroline shifted on the velvet stool, resting her arms on the surface in front of him. With her eyes trained on his, she informed him dully, “ _ Because _ I’m not going to show up at her house like ‘hey, Bekah, mind if I borrow that jewel so powerful that a  _ whole _ council had to vote on where it would be kept?’”

The fur around his mouth seemed to twitch and he glanced aside. “Are we sure she even has it?”

“It’s what the book said,” she reminded him as she rose from her seat. She leaned across to retrieve a pair of flowery earrings from a metal display stand and was inches from him as she hooked them into her ears. It was moments like this she found herself realising how odd their situation was. By now, it was like he had always been a cat; it was practically normal until she realised she and a select few were the only ones who knew.

“A book you’ve had in your possession for how long?” His furry little head tilted in her direction and he began to reason, “For all we know, Damon Salvatore could have hocked it, trying to satisfy his Dark magic addiction.”

Caroline rolled her eyes once again (she swore that they would fall out at some point) and offered as she straightened up, “Alright, I’ll just say I’m doing research for the store on gems.”

“My sister might be a petulant child, but she’s not stupid, sweetheart.”

“You have a point there,” she relented with a folding of her arms. That was a fact she would find hard to deny. Rebekah may have played the role of pretty, rich blonde girl, and enjoyed it, too, but she held an intelligence and sharp wit that couldn’t be compared. During her years at school, it was an odd occasion to see her at any place but the top of her class and when that place was even slightly threatened, she had a way of making teachers see sense.   
  


Klaus lifted one of his paws, inspecting the crevices of his pink, little pads. “Of course I do.”

“Okay, don’t get too cocky,” Caroline shot back, glaring at him. She sighed and slumped onto the end of her bed. “Well, what do  _ you _ think we should do?”

He left a moment of silence to gnaw at the irritation in his paw before striding across the varnished wood. “I propose that while you and my sister are chatting, I take a quick tour of the basement.”

She leaned back on her hands, rocking her knee gently as she raised an eyebrow. “A  _ quick _ tour?”

Klaus hopped off the piece of furniture and perched in front of her feet. “It’s better we gather all the facts before we go sharing any insignificant information.” He then jumped onto her lap and she huffed.

“You really don’t trust your sister, do you?”

“Her ties to the Council can’t be ignored.”

She took a long look into his glassy, yellow eyes. It was much like the day his sister had visited the store. He was really too proud to admit his conditions. Too scared. She sighed and brushed him off her lap, “Fine, I will...hold in your...change of circumstances until absolutely necessary.”

With a short chuckle as he nearly tumbled against the sheets, he replied, “I greatly appreciate it, love.”

Caroline tilted her head down to view him. “So, how do we get you in the door?”

“I do believe we have an already tried and tested method,” Klaus stated rather smugly. When her brows furrowed, he hopped off the bed and curled up beside her very familiar satchel.

“Seriously?”

* * *

Caroline arrived at the front door of the Salvatore Boarding House and adjusted the satchel carefully as the strap tugged at her shoulder. She couldn’t believe that the change in weight had gone unnoticed the night of her date with Matt; she was kicking herself at the very thought. She twisted her lips for a moment as she considered her actions.

Why was she doing this? Klaus’ parole was nearing and they could be seeing his sentence reduced significantly if all went well. But the wish to see him human again nagged at her insides. It wasn’t that she was falling prey to his daft conspiracies, but that  _ something _ didn’t feel right.

Taking a deep breath, she reached for the audacious, lion-shaped knocker, but jumped back at the sudden opening of the door. It swung inwards to reveal one Stefan Salvatore, shoving his arm into his coat as he shouted behind himself, “I need to, babe!” She held her breath as he came to view her. “Caroline?”

“Stefan! Hi!” She strained a wide smile and attempted to peek behind him, casually asking, “Is Rebekah home?”

Though he glanced around in confusion, he replied, “Uh...yeah. Just head on in.” He sighed softly as he stepped out into the driveway. “Sorry, I gotta go.  _ Brother _ business.”

Caroline nodded and cautiously entered the vast space of the Boarding House. “Rebekah?” she called out as her eyes scanned the entryway. She had visited the house once before during a small ‘cheese and wine’ gathering that Rebekah had held; she had adopted the idea from a ‘charming’, mortal sitcom.

She stepped around until she found herself in the drawing room. It had changed greatly from her last visit. The earthy tones were now replaced with royal blues and lucious reds that draped the walls and complemented the furniture. In such a quiet space, she considered letting Klaus out, but the abrupt greeting behind her foiled the idea immediately, “Caroline, what are you doing here?”

Caroline turned ever so slowly on her heels, an uneasy smile growing as she came to face the dressed down blonde. “I thought I would...come to...hang?”

Rebekah began to place her fingers to her temples, bemoaning, “You know I do prefer to know ahead of schedule.”

“Yeah,” she practically squeaked out and began to contort her body sweetly, “but it’s been so long since I saw you and I was in the area!”

The youngest Mikaelson refused to engage in eye contact as she considered her words. With one heavy breath, she mused, “I suppose I don’t have much to do today otherwise.” She finally threw a look her way. “Would you like some tea?”

“I’d love some.”

As Caroline settled onto the kitchen stool, she lowered her bag onto the ground. She glanced back and forth between the satchel and Rebekah, her words stumbling out as she watched Klaus’ feline frame emerge from the bag. “So, what was Stefan in such a rush over?” She cleared her throat and rested her hand against her cheek. “He said something about ‘brother business’?”

“Damon’s just being Damon again.” Caroline tilted her head and Rebekah sighed. She clicked her fingers to begin boiling the kettle and began pacing. “He’s been dating this trollop… Katherine something…” She paused in front of Caroline, leaning in with a hushed tone, “She’s harmless, really. A bitch, but harmless.”

“Why’s Stefan so worried then?”

“Apparently, she and Stefan used to date,” Rebekah recounted, inspecting the polish on her nails. When she noticed Caroline’s concerned expression, she spoke once more, “I know. But according to him, she’s into all sorts of things and Stefan has this idea that one vice will lead to another and that will lead to Dark magic again.”

“Huh…” Caroline drummed her fingers against her chin, tilting her head side to side. “I guess it’s not totally unreasonable to think that…”

“Yes, but honestly, Caroline,” she placed her hands firmly on the marble counters, “it’s starting to take the piss. Just let the man do what he wants, I say.”

“Do you really expect him to do that, though?” Caroline sighed when her friend frowned. “He’s your husband, I know, but Damon’s his brother. I mean, what would you do if it was…” her words trailed off into silence.

Rebekah simply stared at her, not a twitch in her blank expression to be seen. At the sound of a boil, she straightened up and dusted off her t-shirt.

Caroline found herself turning her head the way of the exit but quickly spoke, “So, do you guys ha—”

Her words were interrupted by a loud crashing some distance away. Her heart began to race and her eyes were wide as Rebekah immediately rushed in the direction of the sound. Caroline jumped off the stool and winced as she followed after her, her hair bouncing as she tried to keep up. Rebekah managed to follow the sound rather expertly, bounding up the stairs to the second floor.

It was in the private study that she and Rebekah stumbled in to find a familiar black cat, trapped under a pile of fallen books. The shelf they had been placed on had come loose from its screws, collapsing in and crashing to the floorboards.

Caroline felt panic shoot through her and she rushed forward. “Kl— Crimson!” She attempted to save her words, swiftly picking up Klaus from under the stack of books. “Are you okay?” His little furry mouth pushed up slightly though his eyes strained. There didn’t seem to be any visible harm done but there was a significant tension that settled between them. Realising the predicament, she slowly turned to meet her host, pressing her lips tightly.

“Caroline?” Rebekah looked with bewilderment between the pair of them. “What is your cat doing in my home?”

“What? He’s not—” When she saw the suspicious narrow of Rebekah’s eyes, she fumbled to explain, “I think he has separation anxiety?”

“ _ Caroline _ ,” Rebekah repeated, stepping forward purposefully as her voice became sharp, “if you don’t tell me what’s going on right this instant, I will—”

Klaus shifted in Caroline arms, throwing a dull stare his sister’s way, and drawled, “Oh Rebekah, don’t be so bloody dramatic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **COMMENTS ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED**
> 
> **Forgive me. It's been a long time. I'm very engrossed in my other WIP Psychedelic Kicks (yes this is shameless self-promotion. Go read it, maybe leave a comment? lmao)**
> 
> **Time to address the elephant...or the cat...in the room next chapter!**


	10. Part II: The Gemstone

The room had become so still at the abrupt interruption of Klaus, who was curled up in Caroline’s arms. Caroline had instinctively held tighter onto the ball of fur, unable to decide whether she was relieved to have the secret out or angry that he had revealed himself by insulting his own sister. Either way, there was a lot of explaining to be done.

“You must be joking, surely.” Rebekah’s jaw hung slack as she tried to pair the familiar voice with the _feline_ familiar visual.

“Afraid not, dear sister,” Klaus replied drily and Caroline was not shy to roll her eyes. If she wasn’t mistaken, Klaus was enjoying the flair of his reveal.

Rebekah stared at him for one moment longer before squaring her shoulders and directing a sore look at her brother’s human carrier. “Caroline, explain.”

Caroline could see the bewilderment laced with upset. As cold as the Mikaelson girl was, she bore as much emotion as a mortal teenage girl. Rebekah was always out of the loop on ‘family’ business, she knew - it was a big reason for her estrangement from them. She looked to the side at the mahogany desk before letting Klaus onto it. She sighed out, “Your brother was caught by the Council. This is his punishment.”

“A cat?” Rebekah sucked on her teeth as she once again eyed the cat. She commented briskly, “I would have thought him more suited to a _dog_.”

Klaus, now stretching out his little, feline legs, said in return, “Well, I’m sure you would like that, sister, since your husband—”

Caroline didn’t give him the chance to complete his rebuttal, stepping forward to say, “The point is: you have something we need.”

Rebekah’s eyebrows both rose in a mix of shock and disgust. She placed her fingertips against her collarbone as she parroted, “ _I_ have something?” She let out a bitter laugh before calling out, her neck stretching, “The last time I checked, Nik, you thought me to be useless in your evil schemes.”

Klaus was inspecting his paw when he mused in return, “That hasn’t changed.”

They were both so infuriating but at this point, Caroline was more inclined to side with the youngest Mikaelson. Klaus was now resorting to childish jibes that would sooner lead them out the door than to any solution to their problem. She knew that he would rather burn the bridge than admit any need for her help but whatever issues they had with each other, Caroline was starting to grow tired.

Rebekah huffed and curled a hand around her hip. “I’ll have you know my skills in witchcraft are nothing to be overlooked.”

“And yet you waste it on chasing after pathetic mortal ideals.”

“Better to waste it on that then _pathetic_ underground mutinies!” Rebekah looked him up and down. “How is that going for you, by the way?” 

Caroline had witnessed an argument much like this years ago in their school’s courtyard. With no friends her own age, Rebekah had been so adamant to attend _their_ senior prom. But the school was very thorough with its rules; no underclassmen were to attend upper class proms under _any_ circumstances — something about keeping it fair and avoiding conflict. After Rebekah had talked their ears off about the ‘silly rule’, Marcel Gerard was willing to accompany her as both date (platonically, of course - any other intentions would have set her brother into a rage) and cloaking spell provider. Klaus, already reluctant to attend the prom, himself, was prompt in shutting down the idea. And what ensued was a shouting match of siblings.

“Can you two seriously shut up?” Caroline cut in with a raised voice, the strain in it catching the pair’s attention. The silence allowed her to collect her thoughts. She pressed a finger to her temple, letting her eyes fall shut as she recounted, “According to the book your brother and I read, the Salvatores have something called the Transuerso Gemstone,” she offered Rebekah a pleading set of blue eyes, “which is _probably_ the only hope in reversing your brother’s punishment.”

“And I should care because?” Rebekah’s blank expression was doing nothing for her patience. She tilted her head to catch sight of her brother. “Why should I give it to you?” 

Caroline glanced at Klaus and quickly stepped in front of him, demanding every inch of Rebekah’s attention with a firm gaze. “Because _I’m_ asking you.” She huffed and shook her head. “Klaus being a cat is honestly the least of my worries, but _I’m_ stuck with him until they rule otherwise.” With a hearty shiver in her voice, she asked, “Please, Rebekah.”

“Fine,” Rebekah said as she lifted her chin. She surveyed the room and presented a smug smile. “I suppose I should start by telling you that looking in the study was a daft place to start for a gem of this power.”

“I wouldn’t put it past a Salvatore to not know its worth,” Klaus’ grumble trailed off into the air, earning him a glare from both women. His head lifted and his tone lightened, “Where is it then?”

Rebekah rolled her eyes and stepped to pick up a particularly hefty book from the floor. “In the basement. I’ll take you there n—”

Rebekah should have known not to lead with the answer; Klaus was pouncing onto the floor and bounding out of the room without a second thought. Caroline could understand the unnerved look on her face at seeing her own brother’s agile control over the feline body. She, herself, remembered her own discomfort over the sight when the punishment was first enacted. Rebekah sighed and gestured a hand out to the hallway and Caroline nodded, taking the first steps out.

As they walked down the hallway, Rebekah turned to her and asked, “Caroline, how was I unaware of this?” She looked out at the space in front of them. “My brother being caught isn’t exactly a one-line news story.”

“I don’t know,” Caroline replied and offered a quick shrug. When they began their trip down the tall set of stairs, she continued, “I guess maybe they thought giving him all that press would draw too much attention to him, maybe influence some witches to join him.”

“He _does_ enjoy the attention.” Rebakah laughed. It was dry but Caroline could sense the twinge of sadness. She soon covered it up, however, her questions shooting out in an irritated hush, “How did you end up in my brother’s mess? Have you been keeping in contact with him? And if that _is_ the case, why the bloody hell have you been keeping this from me?”

“No, I swear!” Caroline’s eyes widened as she gripped the banister. They paused on the ground floor and she sighed. “He just showed up one day, turned into a cat and dropped the whole guardianship on me.”

Rebekah eyed her for a second, “ _Guardianship_?”

“The Council let him choose and I guess I was the one they approved of,” Caroline said with great unease, quickly adding, “I don’t know.” She looked off to the side and reached for her elbow. It pained her to lie but she knew that if she kept it short and vague, she could avoid any nasty confessions. 

They took down the final set of stairs into the basement. The lights flickered on as they passed each sconce on the wall. She knew it wasn’t the time for pleasantries but Caroline was mildly enjoying this tour of the Salvatore Boarding House. It was much more extravagant than her one bedroom apartment. She wasn’t one for being materialistic but had to admit that the extra space would be nice.

When they finally made it to a thick, steel door, Klaus’ little furry frame looked like a shadow on the stone beneath their feet. He was sitting upright and his tail was curled around him as he looked up at them. If Caroline was as attuned to his expressions as she thought she was, he was looking with frustrated expectancy.

“Oh look, as usual you abandon people and all it leads you to is a dead end,” Rebekah’s snide remark echoed in the basement.

Klaus’ glassy yellow eyes blinked slowly and they passed over the two women in front of him. It was a triumph for his sister.

Rebekah kept her gaze on the infuriating feline. “Caroline, would you retrieve something from the drawing room for me?” she asked carefully, her voice monotone. “It’s a large, woven key. On the mantelpiece.”

Caroline looked between the siblings, letting her lips twist. When Rebekah finally passed a glance her way, she stuttered out, “Oh, yeah, sure.”

Rebekah watched as she exited, listening for her quieting steps. The silence settled and she threw a sharp declaration, “I just have one question.”

Klaus made no change in expression. “Ask away.”

“Why Caroline?” Rebekah asked and folded her arms. “I know you’re practically head over heels for her but dragging her down with you is a bit much,” her lips twitched upward as she offered the sentiment.

Klaus blinked, his words dragging out, “I’m not sure you want to know the answer, dear sister.”

“Try me.”

“I trust her.”

Rebekah huffed. “Okay, I’ll rephrase that:” she paused to analyse his set of yellow eyes, “Why not me?”

Klaus could feel his sister’s insecurity dripping from every syllable but he was in no mood for niceties. He was never one for sympathy in any case. “And I’ll reiterate: I trust _her_.”

He watched her bright blue eyes flicker, the hurt evident. It was as much as he could say without admitting his opinion of her outright, but he knew his sister was smart enough to understand.

They were locked in a stare when Caroline’s chipper voice rang down the stairs. “I’ve got it!”

Rebekah waited until Caroline was beside them to answer, “Thank you.” She took the woven key when it was handed to her. Her words were delivered in a despondent sigh as she moved to unlock the door, “Any artefacts are kept in here.”

Rebekah wasn’t shy in knocking Klaus aside with her foot before stepping in before them. His low rumble was more apparent in the basement. She rounded the room and her sandals clicked against the floor. She came to a wall of little chests that were slotted into the stone.

Caroline twisted her lips, watching Klaus hop onto an altar in the middle of the room. There was a lot she wanted to say to him but with Rebekah searching away in the corner, she couldn’t bring herself to speak to him. Instead, she called out across the room, “It’s green.”

Rebekah hummed in acknowledgement, her finger tracing the curves in the wall. There were a few moments of awkward silence in which Caroline let her eyes wander, but soon Rebekah said, “Like this?” She turned to face Caroline and Klaus. She was holding a large, turquoise-like green gem in her palm. It sparkled in the cold light of the basement, eliciting a small gasp from Caroline. It was nothing short of stunning.

Caroline was pretty sure of the resemblance to the sketch in her old book but looked to Klaus, who nodded once. There was a rising bubble of excitement within her; after all these months trying to deal with the new normal, the gem was just collecting dust, much like that book. She balled her fists at her side, a smile growing on her lips, and addressed Rebekah firmly, “Yes.”

Rebekah’s jaw clenched and she seemed to tick before saying, “Right, well, I’m sorry, Caroline.”

Caroline felt the air still and her smile slowly dropped. Klaus’ black, fluffy body tensed up. “What?”

She exhaled softly, glanced at her brother upon the altar and explained, “I understand this might impact you but I think my brother is quite deserving of this punishment.”

“Rebekah…” Caroline took slow steps forward, reaching her hands out.

Rebekah regarded the sparkling gem and mused, “I’m not a fan of the colour anyway.” She then raised the object in the air, a little smirk twitching on her lips.

“NO!” was the instinctive shout that leapt from Caroline, but Rebekah had mustered all of her strength both physical and magical as she threw the artefact down.

There was no fight to be had, no effort to be made in saving it. It was too late. The gemstone had split against the stone, the sound ringing out around them. Caroline’s heart dropped a thousand feet when the visual settled in. It was broken into four large pieces and there was a faint light that flickered out in the centre.

Rebekah kicked the pieces with her foot, her voice soft, “Perhaps you were right about who to trust, Nik.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **COMMENTS ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED**
> 
> **Nothing like a little bit of resentment to tear siblings apart, right, guys? And where do we go from here? Oh...you'll see... We're still a few ways from when part III begins so...**


	11. Part II: The Last Resort

Without so much as a second to process the event, Caroline rushed to the now destroyed artefact. Her mind was racing, trying to search for a glimmer of hope. Her knees ached against the cold, stone floor. She picked up the pieces one by one into her small hands, analysing the jagged cracks around the edges and down the middle of the gem. It was so dull in contrast to the first time they had laid eyes on it.

“It won’t work,” she heard Rebekah mutter from beside her but it was so muffled under the sound of her beating heart.

Caroline’s head began to shake vigorously. She swallowed hard, struggling out a reply, “No, it has to.”

Caroline could barely breathe; tears were suddenly streaming down her face. The gemstone was broken and so their fate was sealed. She had tried so hard to accept it. Seeking out the gem had seemed like a fun exercise in investigation but somewhere along the way, she had built up the image of Klaus finally returning to his human form. She would have dealt with the Council when the time came, would have played dumb. Now, she wouldn’t get the chance.

Rebekah stepped along the edge of the room, coming to a standstill by the altar. She glanced at Klaus as her words drawled into the echoing basement, “The Council doesn't grant enough power to do such a thing.”

Caroline tore herself away from the gem to throw an incredulous look at Rebekah, her eyes puffy and red. “But they do to break it?!” she shouted weakly. Rebekah seemed to pull back an inch, her blank expression tensing.

“It’s old Salvatore magic. The gem is just a host for its power - a power we wouldn’t be able to recreate under the Council’s drain,” Klaus interjected. He was so calm as he hopped down from the altar, his fluffy, black tail swinging side to side between his legs. He hummed softly, inspecting the gem. “Can’t really beat smashing it to pieces.”

Caroline’s breathing had become a loud shiver as she attempted to control her manic thoughts. She was wishing so desperately that this day had never happened, that they had never found that book the month prior. Maybe the day would have been spent watching television and arguing over the mundane things in life; she would have done anything to have that instead of this heaving disappointment.

Klaus’ small paw rested atop her knee, the little pads of his feet gentle against her skin, “It’s okay, sweetheart. We’ll find another way.”

She looked down at him. His eyes were doing their best to appear sympathetic, blinking slowly. But the image of him like this just gnawed away at her heart. “Another way?! What other way, Klaus?!” She felt so pathetic as she sobbed out her deepest fear, “The Council is just going to keep you a cat forever at this rate!”

“I know another way,” Rebekah spoke up. If their ears were not deceiving them, it was shakier than they had ever heard her before. Caroline slowly brought herself to look at her. She was standing by the altar, still, fiddling with her hands as she viewed them, viewed  _ Caroline _ .

“You’ve done enough, Bekah,” Klaus spat before any considerations could be made. His little fangs peeked out in a scowl. “Any lying is just rubbing salt into the wound.”

Rebekah straightened slowly, pulling back as she replied, her voice high and loud, “I’m not lying!”

Klaus took a moment to look at Caroline. She was trembling but there was a light in her eyes, pleading for another way. He returned to looking at his sister and sighed, “Go on then. Enlighten us.”

Rebekah’s jaw set at his biting demands. Resting her palm atop the altar, she leaned against it and said, “I know someone who can make Klaus human.” Caroline had now set the broken pieces back on the stone floor. She brushed herself off as she brought herself to stand.

“At what cost?” Klaus asked, the last syllable hissing in the air. Oh, his sister… So impulsive. He knew she was now clambering for some form of repentance. She hadn’t changed.

“What?”

He took slow strides forward. “It’s never that simple, dear sister,” he explained darkly, his mouth quirking into a smirk. “I may be willing to try just about anything, but I do like to know what is required to do it.”

Rebekah seemed to be biting the inside of her lip but soon relented, “Fine.” She tousled her hair with a shake of her head and sighed. “You have to become mortal.”

Klaus eyed her, his words were collected but bitter, “I think it’s time we go now, Caroline.” He made his way to the door, scurrying across the stone in silence.

“Think about it,” Rebekah’s voice rang out. She wasn’t addressing him. He was sure of it.

He could see Caroline locked in a stare with his sister. She was studying the pleading eyes of Rebekah. His jaw tensed as he called out, “Caroline.”

* * *

It was a silent ride home. Klaus had curled up in the backseat and watched her through the rear-view mirror. He could see the smudged mascara under her lashes, the way her eyes twitched as she strained to keep her emotions under control. By the time they had arrived home, she was both silent and composed. She dumped her bag onto the floor, the contents nearly spilling out, and made a beeline for the couch. Her body fell against the soft cushions with a thud and she rested her head, sighing out as she reached for the television remote.

Klaus was not far behind, cautiously padding up the stairs and across the length of the living area. He climbed onto the coffee table and his little ears turned forward as he asked softly, “Are you alright, sweetheart?”

“Mm?” her tired notes lingered in the air as she adjusted against the couch pillows. “Yeah…”

He looked down and his paws flexed gently. He mused, “I understand today was quite stressful.”

Caroline didn’t nod or verbalise any agreement. She stared at him, her eyes studying his frame. “You’re not even going to consider it?”

Klaus looked up at her, his glassy, yellow eyes wide. “Consider what?”

Caroline sighed and pulled herself up to sit. Her fingers curled around the edge of the seat cushions. She stared into his eyes and gritted out, “You know what, Klaus.”

His jaw became set and she could see a tooth poking between his lips. “Fine,” he murmured before sitting up straight. “No, I’m not and even if I do, my answer will remain the same.”

“So you’d rather be a cat forever?”

Klaus looked to the side of the room, his eyes slowly trailing back to her as he admitted, “Against the current alternative, yes.”

Caroline rolled her eyes and stood up from the couch. “Would becoming mortal be so bad?”

“Without question,” he answered firmly, his gaze now locked on her.

She scoffed, her hair tossing back as she walked to the kitchenette. “You’re unbelievable,” she muttered and opened a cupboard door.

He was behind her in a flash, his body leaping onto the kitchen island. His deep, warm voice sent a chill down her spine. “Would you do it? If you were given the same options.” She turned to him slowly, sucking in a breath at his unchanging stare. “You wouldn’t, would you?”

It brought her back to their stay in her childhood home. The reason why she had brought all possibilities of a life there to an end. But maybe, she was realising now that it wasn’t just about losing the powers she had come to love so dearly, but about losing the  _ person _ she had come to love so dearly.

Klaus pressed on, letting his words settle in the air, “You prefer who you are now to the mortal you once were.” She pressed her lips tightly and he grinned. “Being a witch makes you strong, fearless.”

Caroline stared at him, at the yellow, feline eyes that delighted in her attention. She finally scoffed, yanking out a bag of chocolates from the cupboard before storming back to the couch. “You’re such a dick…”

“Sweetheart—“

She spun on her heel, raising her voice, “Don’t!” He seemed to flinch and her eyes softened at the sight. With a quiet tone, she spoke, “Klaus, I— I don’t want it to be like this.”

“It won’t be,” he sounded so assured; it nearly had her falling into a false sense of security. “As far as they’re aware, we’ve been playing house for the last however many months. The hearing will be a breeze.”

“And what if they’re just toying with you?!” Her hands gestured out before slapping against her sides. Her voice had wavered and she struggled to fight the rising frustration. “I know it and you know it. Keeping you like this is better for them.”

The fluffy, black cat before her made no effort to change. His frame was still atop the counter and his stare was blank as he watched her crumble. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t give up something so important to my life.”

“What about me?” she asked calmly in return. Her eyes closed for a moment. She took in a small breath before opening them. She was imploring him as she whispered, “What about us?”

Klaus’ eyes flickered and his mouth parted. She was so desperate to understand exactly what it all meant. He pressed his jaw shut and swallowed. He looked to be regarding the room as he glanced away from her, but soon, with a gentle tone, he spoke, “I suppose we better get working on my powers of persuasion with the time we have left then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **COMMENTS ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED**
> 
> **All of your lovely comments really motivated me to post this new chapter so I hope that you enjoy and you'll let me know your thoughts!**
> 
> **I hope next chapter will come sooner rather than later. I had forgotten how much I adored this story and how exciting it is about to get - been a little wrapped up with Psychedelic Kicks, which is now taking a much needed pause.**
> 
> **Hint: next chapter Klaus' first annual hearing next chapter.**


	12. Part II: The Hearing

It was the day of Klaus’ long-awaited hearing. The last few months had been dedicated to considering their options but the answer was clear: make a case in front of The Council. Even a single mention of mortality was like a pin-prick in the preferred calm. Instead, she would sit at the kitchen counter and grill him in a way she felt would resemble his hearing. And of course, his answers were most assuredly _Klaus_. Spoken with dry irritation.

Mortality wasn’t the only sore topic they had avoided. They hadn’t spoken to Rebekah since that day in the Salvatore basement. She had sent a basket of ‘sorry’ muffins to her closet and a sachet of catnip, which they had argued over the intentions of. Caroline was more hurt than anything but after some prying, Klaus reluctantly admitted to hitting a nerve in his younger sister. Unsurprising but it didn’t change the weight of her reaction.

Caroline was pacing across the living room, checking for all of the essentials as she called out, “Are you ready?” She caught herself in the reflection of the microwave, fixing the light smudge of lipstick on her chin.

“Yes,” Klaus grumbled, padding out of the bedroom to meet her. He hopped onto his usual space on the kitchen counter. “I don’t see the need for this silly tie, love.” He looped his paw under the dangling, red fabric and viewed it with disdain.

She spun towards him and folded her arms. Placing a finger to her lips, she held back the instinctive giggle of his appearance. The tie she had placed on after his collar was purely an exercise in cuteness, yes, but worth the complaints. She finally repressed her amusement with a firm reply, “You need to appear respectable!”

“I’m a cat,” Klaus said drily, his eyes almost dead in his view of her. “I don’t think I could get any _less_ respectable.”

“Well, I think it looks adorable,” she cooed, taking a step to scritch his ear, though he immediately recoiled with a bared fang. She might pick his human form over his current feline state but gosh darn it, messing with him was fun (and yes, she had been snapping pictures of him all curled up at night).

Klaus emitted a low rumble at the sight of her biting back a smile. “Thank _god_ I’m adorable.” He rolled his eyes rather cartoonishly. “They’ll surely reduce my sentence now.”

“Not with that attitude,” she pointed out before pulling up his carrier onto the counter. She slowly unhooked the latches and swung the door open, unbothered by his stare. She then twitched her index and middle finger to the inside.

Though he sighed, he took steps into the plastic carrier. Settling in with his little paws curling under him, he looked up at her and noted, “You know you’re awfully calm.”

Her body straightened and her lashes fluttered in surprise. “Am I?”

He displayed an obvious narrow of his eyes, drawling a reply, “Yes, sweetheart, considering you’ve spent the last few months harping on about this bloody hearing.”

True, she had reminded him of it regularly, but she couldn’t help it. It may be the first hearing of many but even the first one would be important.

Caroline leaned in, propping the barred door in place as she hummed, “I guess I feel like...either way this goes, you’ll still be here?” She made no comment on the clearly thrown expression on his furry face. She sucked in a sharp breath and smiled brightly, “Anyway, shall we?”

* * *

After the lovely, one-stop closet journey, Caroline strutted through the The Council building foyer. Nothing had changed since her last visit just under a year ago. The foyer was still so grandly decorated with gold trims on white furniture and behind the front desk was the familiarly disinterested redhead. She was chewing gum and flicking through the pages of a magazine with a rather redundant flick of her wrist.

Coming to a firm stop in front of her, she announced, “Caroline Forbes and Kl—” she paused at the sight of the receptionist’s dull stare and sighed, “but they were already expecting us, right?”

The woman’s lips curled, the pink bubble gum trapped between her molars, when she peered at Klaus’ furry and cold demeanour. “Down the hall. Room F,” was her sharp reply before she resumed her activity of chewing and pretending to read.

Caroline wished Klaus was beside her in human form at this moment so she could roll her eyes and huff a comment. She was sure it was on his mind as well. Still, she pressed onward down the hallway to the left of the reception area. It was a wide and long stretch of corridor with numerous pictures of The Council of past and present. She was sure there were a few Salvatores and maybe even a past Mikaelson in a photo or two.

When she reached room ‘F’, she felt herself halting. She breathed deeply. Perhaps her composure half an hour earlier was premature.

Klaus murmured, a slight echo in his carrier, “We’ll be fine.”

She gave no reply, only nodded and reached out to knock on the thick, white-painted door.

“Come in,” a low, but familiar, voice rang out.

Caroline used her free hand to twist the doorknob. It was a cool sensation on her sweating palm. She pushed the door open only halfway before slipping through, Klaus’ carrier at her side. At the back of the room, sat in a row, was the Council. Alaric was naturally sat at the middle of the wide table, his chair much taller than the others.

They all seemed to be waiting for her to settle before making any opening remarks so she quickly pressed the door shut with her back and brought the carrier to the raised podium opposite them. She twisted her lips and chewed on them as she fiddled to unhook the carrier door. Thankfully, Klaus did not test her nerves and padded out in a timely fashion. She could see he had managed to wriggle his way out of the cute, little tie — likely the reason he had been so quiet on the way there.

Klaus’ feline frame sat upright, his paws flexing gently against the podium, and he nodded towards her. Caroline forced a smile and set the carrier on the floor beside the podium. When she turned to view the Council, she was met with an eerie silence. She looked around at each of their faces, her own brows furrowing.

Richard Lockwood was the first to speak, delivering a brittle greeting, “Miss Forbes, we request that you wait in the hallway so that we may conduct this hearing appropriately.”

Caroline frowned and exchanged a glance with Klaus whose glassy eyes offered nothing. “Appropriately?” she repeated as her eyes made contact with the council members.

“We need to make sure Klaus is answering our questions with honesty and _without_ your presence as influence,” was Carol Lockwood’s interjection with a pageantry smile to boot.

She twiddled her fingers at her sides and looked between Klaus and Alaric. Both of them nodded at her, Klaus in assurance and Alaric in strict confirmation. “Oh um...okay.” She turned slightly on her heel and said, “Good luck?”

Klaus’ mouth twitched a little before he muttered, “Thank you, sweetheart.” He watched her for a moment as she took a careful exit. She had been so effervescent in every attempt to prepare him for this moment. He knew not to let her down.

Alaric’s voice brought him into reality, “I see you two are getting on well.”

Turning his head to the five council members, he masked a smile. “As well as we can, yes.”

“You have been staying by Miss Forbes’ side at all times,” was stated by Atticus Shane, though it most certainly sounded like a question. He was the newest addition to the Council and a poor one at that. He resembled a scruffy college professor out of one of Caroline’s favourite shows and was likely not as smart.

Klaus deadpanned the man. “Everywhere except the bathroom, is that alright?” he was unable to resist the dull drawl.

He watched Alaric present a small smirk. Alaric then proceeded to pose his own questions as he peered at a stapled set of pages before him. “You have had no contact with members of your faction including but not limited to one Marcel Gerard?”

“No.”

“Would you be willing to divulge information on him in exchange for a reduced sentence?”

  
  


“Not even in death.”

“How was your trip to the mortal world?”

“Fine.”

“What did you do there?”

“ _Cat_ things,” he stated with firm irritation. If he had hands, he would gesture out his incredulity. “What are you expecting with these questions? I went on a lovely date with a hot tabby cat?”

While the other members of the Council exchanged their pearl clutching remarks, Alaric simply watched him. He was happy to engage in this battle of wills. If Alaric was expecting any confessions, he was sorely mistaken. He was certain of the way this hearing would end regardless.

Alaric’s stormy blue eyes were trained on the fluffy feline as he announced with a reserved smugness, “I think we have enough to make our decision. Please bear with us.”

* * *

Caroline was sitting in an armchair when she jumped at the sound of a door creaking open. It was the one not far down from Klaus’ hearing room. When Alaric stepped out, her brows became knitted closely. The other members of The Council shuffled into the hallway after him, taking down the opposite direction with a flutter of conversation. Alaric turned towards her, his hands shoved into his pockets. She could feel her heart quicken at the prospect of disappointment and dread.

“Caroline, a word?”

She surprised herself with how enthusiastically she pulled herself off the chair. “Yeah, sure,” she tried to keep her nerves at bay with the quiet response. She followed his gesturing arm into the room he had appeared from.

The room he led her into was much smaller than the hearing room, reminiscent of judges’ quarters in her mother’s favourite procedural dramas. It’s with her keen (anxious, really) eye that she spotted the door to the left. The light from the hearing room was streaming through and she was so desperate to see what Klaus’ fate would be.

Alaric’s soft, but firm, voice began, “I wanted you to know that your efforts as his guardian have been greatly appreciated.”

She finally tore herself away from her thoughts to look at him. He had his lips pressed into a calm smile. “Thank you.”

He took a half-step forward as he mused, “Of course it must be difficult for you to be in such close quarters with him after such a long time.”

Caroline was waiting for clarity, apprehensively replying, “We’ve managed.” She watched him pace around her, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Right, well, I just wanted to ensure that you’re not being swayed by his radical ideas.”

She blinked a couple times, viewing him from behind with narrowing eyes. She had the urge to fidget in light of his admission. Did he know something?

“What?”

He turned slowly towards her, a knowing smile spreading across his face. “His faction, Caroline, the _riff-raff_. There’s a reason that magic is controlled in The Realm. It’s to stop the dregs of society from poisoning our system.”

Her breath caught in her throat but she cleared it before replying, “A-Alaric, I don’t think I understand.”

Alaric seemed to laugh if only for a moment and at a quiet volume. He looked at the pictures hanging on the wall beside him and sighed out, “If you do right by the Council, the Council will do right by you.” He finally offered his eyes, they were softening on her. “Of course, the more you show we can trust you, the higher up you are, the more power we’ll grant.” She understood every word but her mind couldn’t string them together. He stepped forward and his hand rested on her shoulder. “Just to keep in mind.” He grinned shortly before straightening up to say, “I must go and announce our ruling. Klaus will be with you shortly.”

Caroline simply nodded, unflinching when he pulled away from her and headed for the door at the side. It was only at the sight of him disappearing behind it that her brain flickered with a need to act. The door was slowly drawing back in but she sucked in a sharp breath and tensed her wrist.

She had maintained a small crack between the door and its frame. She had no time to ponder the morality of using her magic to eavesdrop, rushing across the small room to press herself up against the wall beside it. With a precise twitch of her fingers, she managed to gain another inch of the hearing room’s view. It was enough for her.

Alaric took his time as he sauntered to his grandiose chair. “Thank you, Klaus.” He took hold of the back of the chair, spinning it enough to settle into it. “We have conferred and we have decided there will be no change to your current sentence.”

“Of _course_ ,” a dry response came from the fluffy feline. Under any other circumstances she might have told him off for such a delivery but the announcement was taking the forefront of her mind. She supposed it was the natural course of things. Five years minimum, were the words of Richard Lockwood a year prior. Four to go.

“It’s quite intriguing, the journey you two have been on this past year,” Alaric began rather cryptically, but she could hear the hint of amusement. “You went to great lengths testing the limits of your punishment.”

There was a long pause but Klaus soon said through gritted teeth, “You know what we’ve been doing.”

“Yes.”

A chill ran through her. He knew everything. Were his words moments ago just a way to see if she would break? Were her replies only further incriminating her? She could barely breathe but forced herself to focus when she felt her magic waning.

Alaric interlocked his fingers, resting his elbows on the table, and explained, “I enchanted your collar. It doesn’t just allow you to travel outside of the confines of your guardian’s home. Wherever you go, I’ll know. But most importantly, the moment you take it off, I’ll know.”

“Why didn’t you just stop and arrest us then?”

“Because I like Miss Forbes. She was one of my best students,” Alaric admitted proudly. It was a compliment but it left her feeling somewhat disturbed, though she couldn’t pinpoint why. He rolled his shoulders back and raised a relaxed hand, admiring it. “You know being the head of the Witches’ Council has afforded me some great power...and privacy.”

“So what?”

“So I’ve been quite gracious in keeping this information to myself, don’t you think?” There was an uncharacteristic sharpness to Alaric’s tone. He leaned into the table, lowering his voice, “You may think these attempts to break free from your punishment are harmless, but as much as she may protest such a statement, Caroline Forbes would do anything for you,” he paused, resting back against his chair, “even at the risk of her own downfall. She’s in love with you.”

Her cheeks flushed unwillingly at the comment.

Klaus’ cutting reply gave her no time to dwell, however, “Let’s not mince words, Alaric.”

With his hands still clasped together, Alaric shrugged. “I can only protect her so much if you break your punishment.” He paused for a long moment, but his voice shook her out of any stupor, “As an incentive,” a grin unravelled on his face, “when you return home, there will be a talisman waiting for you. It will grant you twelve hours as a human. To be used when you so choose.”

Caroline let her magic falter, the door weighting itself shut with a mute thud. Twelve hours. Klaus would be a human for twelve whole hours. And yet, there were too many thoughts ravaging her mind, too many questions and uncertainties revolving Alaric. He had always been inclined to the stricter side of life, but the man who had frivolously referred to the ‘riff-raff’ in her presence was just cruel. Her feet carried her quickly out of the small room and back into the hallway. Her chest heaved with panic that she did her best to swallow at the impending interaction.

Inside the hearing room, Klaus was staring the head of the Council down with a pair of hard yellow eyes. “What do you gain out of this?”

Alaric’s smirk was infuriating, just as he had been all throughout his time at school. “Satisfaction that you’ll end your wild goose chases,” he answered. He did not miss a beat as he added casually, “You’re free to leave now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **COMMENTS ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED**
> 
> **I will just leave this chapter here and you guys can just uh...I don't know, shower me with love? Only if that tickles your fancy lmao**
> 
> **There's just a few more chapters left in Part II so Caroline is coming to a bit of a...realisation.**


	13. Part II: The Talisman

Upon her exit from the office, Caroline looked around the hallway frantically as she tried to collect her thoughts. She did all that she could to keep her breathing slow but the words were just swirling over her head, forcing her to consider just what it all meant. Alaric was certainly not who she had believed him to be. He was a witch that presented himself as good, presented his ideals as for the good of society. But they weren’t. They were for those whom  _ he _ saw worthy. And she wasn’t sure she liked the  _ worthy _ ones so far. He would offer her more power just for loyalty. For turning her back on Klaus. That wasn’t something she would have ever been willing to do regardless of their past.

Her entrance into the hallway had thankful timing. Klaus was exiting the door to the left, his little black shadow of a form peering around the corner. She let out a short sigh of relief when he caught her eye. “What did they say?” she asked immediately, hoping to cover the distress with a firm delivery. She knew the answer. She just wanted to hear it from his lips.

Klaus strolled out into the middle of the hallway. He stretched with each pad placed on the marble floor and mused, “These twelve months have flown by quite easily, haven’t they? What’s another twelve on top of it?”

She felt a rising nausea. Maybe he did just intend to deliver the bare minimum, to leave her in the dark of Alaric’s Machiavellian-like demeanour. She was no child, though.  _ She _ wouldn’t be left in the dark, not while knowing something was awry. She paced past him and resolved to tread carefully in her words, “Is that it?”

Klaus was swift to move in front of her once more. He hopped onto the armchair beside his carrier and with his tail curling around his side, presented a furry, animated grin. “How would you like to see my  _ dumb _ human face of my  _ dumb _ human body for twelve hours?” He lifted a paw and flexed it gently. “I think they fancy themselves comedians with the number.”

“Wow…” Caroline could only muster a light laugh but clenched her jaw as she felt it waver. To see him again as he should be seen, well, it was something she had desired greatly since his return. She couldn’t find it all that appealing now but he was enthused despite his placid approach and how could she deny him that? She breathed in and fluttered her lashes until a smile was plastered tightly across her face. “Why don’t we go home and you can explain how it works on the way?”

  
His furry little face viewed her for a moment in study. She widened her smile and nodded to the carrier. In response, he simply padded into it, his words echoing doubtfully inside the small box, “Of course.”

* * *

The following recount of events as they made their way back was lost the minute he began. The talisman was there waiting for them on the kitchen counter. It was unnerving to know someone had been in her apartment, her store, a place she had often thought as one of solace and safety.

“I heard,” she eventually muttered, breaking her well-kept silence.

Klaus had been climbing atop the kitchen island when she had said it. The moment the words left her, his whole frame of dark fur grew still. He took the final jump onto the counter and scrunched his face up. “Pardon?”

Caroline curled her fingers into her palms and stepped forward until he was looking up at her mere inches away. She offered her full attention as she declared, “What Alaric said to you.” There was a stretch of silence but the realisation was evidently settling in his mind. She bit her lip; she didn’t want to fight but she wanted reassurance. Her mind had been made up in that office. She wouldn’t sit idly by anymore. “Were you going to tell me?”

His glassy, yellow eyes viewed her blankly. He was calculating, deciding upon the best way to leave her in the dust, she knew. His furry mouth parted and his frame seemed to rise with a breath. He eventually replied with an even composure, “I hadn’t decided whether it was necessary information yet.”

Her face twisted in outrage and she flitted her hands. “Alaric’s been keeping track of us and you weren’t sure if it was  _ necessary _ ?”

His eyes avoided hers in that moment and he was solemn in the press of his lips. He sighed, “How did you hear?”

She opened her mouth to speak but it felt dry all of a sudden. He would be so smug to know. And persistent. She turned away from him, reluctantly drawing out recollection, “He and I had a private chat in his office and...I may have used my magic to keep the door open when he left.”

Klaus exhaled a breath of amusement and looked at her in awe. “Fantastic.” The very compliment ran through her, the warmth of her cheeks hard to ignore. “Though, again, it’s the bare minimum of your capabilities, love.”

She threw a look back his way, commanding him with her stare. “I agree.”

He blinked rather oddly at such unabashed firmness. The way he spoke at that moment was meek in comparison,  _ wary _ , “You do?”

“Alaric… The Council. They don’t want to limit magic to protect us. They just want to hoard it all for themselves like some creepy magic clique.”

He took to pace along the edge of the counter, circling around before concluding, “So you’re saying Alaric is the Regina George of the Realm?” Her lashes fluttered in surprise, a short breath choking out of her throat. He simply grinned, his button nose twitching. “What? I remember some of the mortal things you forced me to watch.”

Caroline was left reeling all of a sudden, her very determined train of thought halted in its tracks. As a couple, she had forced him to watch every one of her favourite movies. All mortal, of course. He had laughed heartily at things like Harry Potter, murmuring insults upon seeing the use of wands. Still, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and folded her arms. “Anyway. I want in with your plans,” she paused before clarifying, “Your faction.” It was the most obvious option for her at this point. The only way she could see forward.

Those rows of sharp, feline teeth presented themselves. “Happy to have you, Miss Forbes.” He held out his paw and urged her with a slight nod. She attempted to hide her smile as she allowed it into her palm and shook it gently. He looked proud, settling his paw back down. “Now, shall we test out this talisman?”

“Right now?”

“Is there any other appropriate time?” He gestured out a paw and she could imagine it in his human form, grand and lazy. “It’s from the Council. Who knows what extra magic they’ve put on it.”

Caroline nodded slowly but sucked in a sharp breath before questioning him, “Are you ready? Like— are you sure you wanna do this?”

“I’ve been ready for a year, love,” he replied, somehow rolling his marble-esque eyes.

“Alright.”

Caroline swiped the talisman off the counter and inspected its design. The trinket was the size of her palm and would surely weigh him down until the transformation was complete. It looked so flimsy. Any gold it had been painted in rusted away by time. It was held up by a string of twine, tough but so simple. It had, what looked to be, a moon and sun interlocking engraved upon the metal. At the centre, a small, ruby sat neatly, a glint appearing as she turned the trinket. The magic was in there, it seemed. So small and yet so powerful.

The sound of Klaus’ throat clearing brought her back into reality. He had taken her distraction to jump down onto the wood flooring and looked up at her expectantly. She shot him a dead stare and huffed. He looked to be one moment away from making a comment but she held her index finger out. He pressed his furry mouth shut and his wide eyes anticipated her actions. She crouched down, her hands gripping both sides of the twine. As she held it above him, she stilled. Would it be a trick? Would Alaric do that? Was he so far departed from the image she had built in her mind? No. He needed her. Loyalty. A trick wouldn’t gain him that. Klaus nodded inwards, ducking his head.

She inhaled deeply and proceeded to place the talisman around his delicate neck. He flinched at the way it settled, her predictions proving accurate. She waited for him to relax before rising from the floor. She stepped back, debated anxiously the distance necessary. Her eyes became glued on that red gemstone and her teeth bit down on her lower lip in wait. Because what if it didn’t work? What if it was just some cruel joke? Give her hope and take it away, prove their power, their control over her and the rest of The Realm?

It was as she prepared for the worst that the trinket began to hover from his fur, shaking ever so gently as the ridges began to glow. The light traced along the engraved image, circling around until it married the ruby at the centre. It sparkled immediately and the entire talisman’s glow expanded outwards. Her chest rose and her heart raced. The scene before her became bathed in light until she could see his feline frame no longer. And then, with a flash bang, it disappeared. She had squinted her eyes shut, using her arm for cover, and cast her head aside in the commotion.

“Caroline?”

Slowly—painfully so because she just couldn’t bear the prospect of disappointment—, Caroline lowered her arm and let her gaze fall on the source of his voice. And there he was. In her living room. In the flesh. More flesh than ever. His dimpled smile and short curls urging her gravitation towards him. She felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her.

“Klaus…”

“I hope there isn’t any residual fur lingering.”

Her mouth fell open and her laugh came out breathy and jagged. She shook her head, matching his smile. “No… No, not at all.” She couldn’t hold back any longer, rushing across the floor to collide with him. Her hands cupped his cheeks and she brought him into a purposeful kiss. She didn’t allow much reciprocation, however, pressing kiss after kiss on his lips. She just needed to know he was real. “I missed you,” she finally breathed out, parting from him.

“I’ve been right here the whole time.”

Caroline huffed, letting her hands fall to his bare chest above the talisman. “You know what I mean. How do you feel?”

“Naked,” he replied flatly, a smirk plastered on his face— _ how _ she had missed even his most frustrating expressions—, and glanced down, “and mortal.”

“Mortal?!” she squeaked instantly. She inched back but he had her gripped tightly by the waist, his fingers clamped over the fabric of her shirt. Despite all the arguments over it, over whether she was too great for mortal endeavours, whether he should give up magic just to lose his feline form… The reality of Klaus as a mortal didn’t suit him.

“It’s quite alright. The talisman must prevent me from using my powers,” he assured, brushing his thumb over the tops of her cheek. His eyes of blue, a sight she hadn’t even thought to miss but now seemed fundamentally him, curved fondly and his lips tugged into a smile. “And for what it’s worth, I missed you too, sweetheart.”

Her heart jumped at the admission. She broke out into a giggle, closing her eyes at the sensation of his fingertips on her skin. They had spent every day together. Every hour. Every minute. And somehow, it felt as though they hadn’t seen each other in years, as though they were just teenagers in that damn boarding school with no responsibility or looming realities. She finally looked upon his face and asked, “So what do we need to do?”

Klaus smirked instantly. She was feeling the flush in her cheeks more than ever. Twelve months as a cat and he still knew how to ruffle her feathers. He glanced down for a moment, his tongue swiping his bottom lip, and reasoned, “Well, I only have twelve hours in this body. I think there’s only  _ one _ thing we need to do right now.”

With that, he leaned in to kiss her again. This time, it was heated, heavy, determined. His lips were possessive of hers and she returned her movements in kind. She snaked her arms around his neck, clasping her fingers and resting them against his skin. She longed to touch him, to feel every inch of him, to regain all that was lost and taken for granted. He ran his fingers carelessly through her locks, bunching them in his palms to her delight. Twelve hours. It wouldn’t be enough. Now that she had gotten him back, it wouldn’t ever be enough.

They had a revolution to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **COMMENTS ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED**
> 
> **Hi, as I've updated on Grazing, I'm back for this one update for CtNSTW, too! And I'm going again...unfortunately.**
> 
> **I just finished my longest and (arguably) most important WIP, Psychedelic Kicks last weekend and I am so so tired. I'm thankful that people enjoy this story and I do promise I will finish it but I need time to just unplug and focus on my mental health. I'll be gone for about a month maybe longer but we'll see.**
> 
> **If you're on the KC discord, I'm hosting a Q &A stream for PK on Saturday at 5pm UTC!**


	14. Part II: The Talk

Twelve hours. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. Caroline had set her alarm to go off ten minutes before the spell ended. She had attempted to stay awake once they had made up for lost time but Klaus had forced her to shut her eyes like a child and it was only a matter of time before she had drifted off to sleep. He was right, unfortunately, that the long day had tired her out. But in those twelve hours, she had realised how much time had truly been lost. One year was nothing to her now. The seven years spent without him entirely were staring her in the face. All because of her insistence to live the life of a ‘normal’ witch. As if being a witch entailed anything normal. Maybe, just maybe, if she had gone with him the first time he had asked, they wouldn’t be in such a painful position. Even with her willingness now, how would they return him to his natural state? They were all questions to which she dreaded the answers.

She cracked her eyes open to find Klaus on his side studying her intently. A smile spread across his face as she coaxed herself into waking with a flutter of her lashes. It was too dream-like to accept. “Good morning, sweetheart,” he greeted softly, leaning over her. The talisman was still burning bright around his neck. His hand came to cup her right cheek and she simply couldn’t believe it even after the hours spent entangled. His hand. His human hand. Opposable thumbs. It was laughable to any other but to her it was everything, the only thing she could think about for twelve months straight.

All she could muster was a breath of awe, “I still can’t believe it’s you…” She reached upwards and smiled as his eyes flashed with surprise. It was quick and he soon appeared as calm as the moment he melded against her that night. She had missed those eyes of blue sapphire and the way they spoke every suppressed thought. She ran her finger down the bridge of his nose before drawing out the shape of his cheek bone.

He caught her wrist gently and pressed a kiss to the bottom of her palm. The act made her shiver; it wasn’t one ever experienced before. Their high school romance was so shallow in comparison. He kissed the inside of her wrist and hummed his reply, “I have to admit it’s an odd feeling.”

Caroline swallowed gently and pulled her hand back into her chest. “We don’t have long left, right?” She had tried,  _ really _ , to avoid obsessing over the clock but it was always gnawing away at the back of her consciousness. Every kiss was another second gone. Every word, another second gone. Every look, another second gone. She wanted more than those seconds.

She watched his jaw harden in place and he replied, “No, we don’t.” It was then that his eyes became alight and his grin returned. He brushed a lock of hair from her forehead and let his fingers settle at the base of her neck. He looped his finger around a curl and sighed. “But let’s not focus on the time. Have I told you how beautiful you look in the morning?”

She felt her throat go dry and her face warm. It was embarrassing that she could blush so furiously at a simple compliment from him. They weren’t teenagers. They had been through all of this once before. Abrasive charm and flushed cheeks. She pressed her lips for a moment and let her eyes wander before she answered, “Maybe once…” She looked up at him again, shrugging a shoulder. “It’s a little different when a cat says it though.”

Klaus gasped and brought his hand back to clutch at his chest. “You don’t find me as charming with a tail?” he asked with wide eyes, his lips twitching. She maintained her defiance, kept a straight face as best she could. It appeared the wrong decision when, in a flash, he was atop her entirely. His fingers tickled her sides mercilessly to her instant squeak of surprise. She erupted into a barrage of giggles and his hands travelled over her hips. The last time he had done such a thing, he had sneaked into her dorm after dinner, had paid her roommate off to leave them be. He always did boast his wealth in a way she would protest but found hard to argue entirely against. This was better than that, she decided.

Klaus paused for just a moment but in that moment, she grasped at his cheeks and pulled him in for a kiss. He chuckled against her lips, his fingers threading through her hair. He soon relaxed into her grasp and tilted her head as they found their rhythm. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and she whimpered. Their last kiss, before the fateful feline transition, was only brief but every kiss since the twelve hours had begun had been nothing short of frantic and passionate. The first one had led them into the bedroom and they hadn’t left since.

But she felt that ticking reverberate through her and in an instant, she forced him back. His eyes curved with concern, his brows furrowing. It was the last thing she wanted to do, to stop indulging in the time they had left, but there was a second ticking. That ticking was the time they had left to make a move, to incite change. She bit her lip and explained, “We should think about a plan.”

Klaus grimaced. His mouth opened and closed tentatively. He eventually pursed his lips and said, “Caroline…”

“Klaus,” she replied firmly, narrowing her eyes. She sighed and let her head loll against the pillow. “How are we supposed to take on the Council if we don’t think of a plan?”

She watched as his jaw tensed. He looked aside for a moment, seemed to be considering his words. He looked at her and said, “We aren’t.” And with that, he shifted away to the edge of the bed, his feet hanging off the side.

Her expression fell. The cold left by him wasn’t a pleasant sensation. And arguing with him was never a pleasant task. Though she was sure he could say the same about her. Stubborn. She sat up immediately and brought the sheet close to her chest. Viewing his bare back, she called, “Excuse me?”

It took a moment. She watched his head turn to the side. “There are risks.”

“I know.”

“Risks I don’t want to take.”

Caroline straightened up and clutched the sheet tighter. She declared, “Well, I do.”

He twisted to view her. His eyes were hard and his body rigid. His reply this time was abrupt and firm, “Well, I don’t. And I won’t.”

She let his words hang, stared incredulously at him in the silence. After all their time, after every little thing, months and months of waiting for a moment like this, he couldn’t go forward? She scoffed and tugged the sheets along with her as she slipped off the bed. “Are you serious right now?”

“Sweetheart—”

Caroline raised her voice, “No! Last night you were all ‘happy to have you, Miss Forbes’ but now it’s too risky?” She came around the bed, sheets hugging her, and viewed him with great expectancy and outrage. She wouldn’t back down. Not for this. Not without a reasonable explanation. If there were any. She had her mind set.

Klaus stood from the bed, was careful in his steps towards her. He appeared so submissive as he clenched his jaw and looked away. “You don’t understand,” he replied, low.

She moved forward, her eyes watching his every change. With her voice strained, she said, “Then help me to understand, Klaus.” He didn’t reply. And it was that silence that plucked at her patience. She swung a hand out, the other still clutching the sheet. “What’s the big deal?!”

It was sudden when his hands clasped her upper arms and his fingers pressed down as he exclaimed, “I don’t want to lose you, Caroline!” His chest heaved with each breath and his eyes looked as wide as hers. The confession sent her mind reeling, sent her whole train of thought into a stasis. Never had his word meant so much to her, caused her such an ache in her chest.

She felt her eyes brimming with tears and the heat rising to her cheeks. Her lashes fluttered and her voice appeared to wobble with every note, “So you’d rather be a cat for the rest of your life?”

Klaus breathed deeply, his eyes never leaving hers. She refused to look away. Not now. His grip loosened and his hands fell back to his sides. He swallowed and turned to the side. He attempted to speak, “It wouldn’t be—“

“Yes, it would,” she interrupted with great strength in her words. “You don’t think Alaric will keep you that way just because?” He looked towards her. The sight of his eyes unravelling his deepest fears drew a sigh from her. She stepped inwards and implored, “Klaus, I want to fight. Whatever it takes, however long it takes. I don’t care.”

There was silence. His stare drifted down and his chest rose and fell. He finally looked at her. “You’re sure about this?” He turned on his feet and met her just inches away. He carefully lifted a hand to brush away a stray hair from her face. His palm settled against her jaw. She felt her heart thrum rapidly, her breath catch in her throat. His voice was soft as he continued, “You could live the rest of your life stress-free and normal, Caroline. Once we do this, you’re putting yourself on a long list of people the Council want imprisoned or worse. No more free travel between Realms or even within the Realm.”

They were, indeed, life-changing predicaments. No more would she be the ‘normal’ witch she had aspired to be. God only knew when she would see her mother again by taking that leap. But she had to. Nothing else felt so important, so imperative to her life going forward. A life with him. She exhaled a tired but amused breath and asked, “When has my life ever been stress-free and normal? Plus, I love lists.” He didn’t seem swayed by her attempt at jest. She pressed her lips tightly for a moment before nodding. “I’m sure.”

“Alright, then,” he muttered and gravitated closer. He brought his other hand to cup her other cheek and smoothed his thumbs across her skin. “I believe I have about fifteen seconds left?”

Caroline leaned into his touch, let her eyes fall shut. She only wished they had more time like this. When she looked at him once again, her heart thudded like never before. It was without a single thought that she murmured, “I love you, Klaus.” His lips parted in surprise and she found herself burning with embarrassment. It wasn’t the first time she had said it. But it had been a long time since the last. He didn’t have to say it back. And he hadn’t ever before. But she knew it wasn’t some unrequited expression. He nodded and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. It would be so easy to melt into it, to lose herself with him, but they parted.

They both looked down at the same time as though by instinct. The gem sitting at the centre of his talisman had become dull. Her heart quickened at the sight. She forced herself away from him. Turned her back to him entirely. She had caught the flash of upset across his face and she longed to cling to him. But this wasn’t something she could bear to see. Not even for a second. The flash of light spread across, lit up the back walls and bathed the whole room in white. Another moment and that light dissipated, leaving them in the dim bedroom once again. She balled her fists and clenched her jaw. With one deep breath, she cautiously turned to face him. The empty air was even more heartbreaking than she had anticipated. Her eyes lowered to the ground.

There he was. All fur. A set of paws. Fiery yellow eyes. Just as Alaric had promised. Twelve hours as a human. He flexed his paw and twisted his neck around before inquiring politely, “How do I look? Good?”

No, she thought reflexively. It felt like a much greater loss than his first transition. The first one was unexpected and arguably comical in retrospect. This one was only a matter of the clock striking an end she knew was coming. This one felt like her heart had been ripped from her chest. How long would it be before she would have him so close again? Even a day, an hour, would be too long. The sight of him with that familiar black fur and glassy yellow eyes was no longer something that could be received in good humour. It made her stomach curdle and her throat catch on her upset. But he was waiting with the utmost expectancy.

“Adorable,” she finally crackled out from her throat. She cleared it promptly and rolled back her shoulders. Shaking herself of all upset, she smiled and placed her hands on her hips. “So, what’s first on our list?”

He took a moment to stretch out his limbs and padded along to the vanity beside them. Once he had hopped onto the stool and adjusted his posture, he informed her, “First, you best start packing, love.” Her eyebrows knitted closely and his furry mouth stretched into an animated smile. “We’re taking a trip to the Under Realm.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Of all the things in my WIPs, none has been so neglected at this but this week, I felt inspired by a lovely comment to pick up my pen (or keyboard, rather) and write this chapter. I hope you'll let me know your thoughts!**
> 
> **This concludes Part II so buckle up because we are entering endgame. I've done some much needed adjustments to the structure and these last 8 chapters will be a little longer than the usual! We're also about to see some familiar faces and some new faces will appear...**


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